Avicenna (980-1037 AD) was a renowned Persian physician, who is regarded as the one of the greatest scholars of the Islamic Golden Age. He was also one of the most influential philosophers of the pre-modern era (Middle Ages), whose teachings extended beyond medicine into astronomy, alchemy, geography, psychology, poetry, and philosophy. Avicenna is the Latinized version of the Arabic name, Ibn Sina, which means Son of Sina. His formal Arabic name was quite a mouthful: Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbdillāh ibn al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī ibn Sīnā.
Rather than make any new medical discoveries, Avicenna studied the Greco-Roman, Persian and ancient Indian texts widely, and helped bring their teachings into the western world, eventually forming the basis of modern medicine. He and other Arab scholars extensively studied Indian mathematical systems, astronomy, and medicine and combined them with Greco-Roman teachings, particularly that of Galen. Avicenna wrote two famous books, The Book of Healing and The Canon of Medicine, that became the standard textbooks for medical students for many centuries. The latter, written in 1025, is considered one of, if not the most, famous books in the history of medicine.
Avicenna was most strongly influenced by Galen’s work, but combined it with Aristotle’s natural philosophy, and also other ancient medical knowledge to write his Canon of Medicine, which is regarded as a clear and concise encyclopedia of all medical knowledge in his time. Unlike Galen’s 20 volumes, Avicenna’s encyclopedia of medicine consisting of 5 books was a much more concise reference that still covered all aspects of medicine.
Rather than make any new medical discoveries, Avicenna studied the Greco-Roman, Persian and ancient Indian texts widely, and helped bring their teachings into the western world, eventually forming the basis of modern medicine. He and other Arab scholars extensively studied Indian mathematical systems, astronomy, and medicine and combined them with Greco-Roman teachings, particularly that of Galen. Avicenna wrote two famous books, The Book of Healing and The Canon of Medicine, that became the standard textbooks for medical students for many centuries. The latter, written in 1025, is considered one of, if not the most, famous books in the history of medicine.
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| The Canon of Medicine |
Avicenna was most strongly influenced by Galen’s work, but combined it with Aristotle’s natural philosophy, and also other ancient medical knowledge to write his Canon of Medicine, which is regarded as a clear and concise encyclopedia of all medical knowledge in his time. Unlike Galen’s 20 volumes, Avicenna’s encyclopedia of medicine consisting of 5 books was a much more concise reference that still covered all aspects of medicine.
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