History of Science

The Place of Avicenna in the History of Medicine

Jamal Moosavi *
Department of History and Civilization of Islamic Nations, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
Avicenna, a Muslim scientist of the tenth and eleventh centuries has an
important place in the history of medicine in Iran and the world.
*Corresponding author: Furthermore, the modern medicine is laid upon the infrastructure of his
Jamal Moosavi, Ph.D.,
Department of History and medicine. In this article, the position of Avicenna in the medical history and
Civilization of Islamic the scientific influence of his medical works in particular Al-Canon in the
Nations, University of development of medical literature and medical educational programs have
Tehran, Tehran, Iran been studied in a historical approach. In reviewing the position of Avicenna
Tel: +98 21 61117295 in the history of medicine in the Islamic world and the Europe, it was
Fax: +98 21 88742635
E-mail: [email protected] concluded that during 11th to 17th centuries, the scientific and educational
Received: 20 April 2009 activities of medicine in the world were moving on the pivot of Avicenna
Accepted: 1 May 2009 medicine or was under its intensive influence.

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Avicenna J Med Biotech 2009; 1(1): 3-8

Keywords: Avicenna, Avicenna Medicine, Islamic Medicine, Medical History, Medical

Literature, Traditional Medicine

Introduction
Avicenna, an Iranian philosopher and articles and books in different European
physician of the tenth and eleventh centuries languages during 1906 to 2006 about him (5)
(4th and 5th century A.H.) is without doubt one and also the formation of the scientific educa-
of the eminent scientists and talented scholars tional network entitled "Avicenna Knowledge
of his own age. Centers" (A.K.C.) over the Europe as well as
His scientific fame and influence was not the World Network of Medical Sciences Data
only spread in Iran and the Islamic world, but Bank under the name of Avicenna, all
also extended to the whole world. He is still confirm the above mentioned claim. Medicine
known as a universal scientist in particular in is one of the scientific dimensions of
medicine in the views of the researchers and influence by Avicenna which dominated the
historians of the science history. The Indexes world of medical science for at least six
1952 and 1980 by UNESCO as the World centuries (11th to 17th centuries). The
Year of Avicenna (1,2) and holding various Avicennas medicine-which became the
international congresses and festivals in representative of Islamic medicine- is mainly
different countries in the world during 1937 to manifested in his important and famous work
2004 (3,1,4) and also publication of about 750 al-Canon fi al Tibb (The Canon on medicine).

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 Avicenna in the History of Medicine

Other valuable treatises have also medical works of Avicenna, in particular his
remained from him in different medical sub- book of Canon.
jects such as angelology (6), heart medicines (7) The second method is to study the
and treatment of kidney diseases (7). historical reports and facts on the position and
Despite the fact that the medicine of importance of Avicenna among physicians,
Avicenna and in general the Islamic medicine medical works and also in the medical educa-
was based on Hippocrates and Galenus, but tion. In the present study, the second method
according to the views of the researchers of is applied. The main material in this research
history of medicine (2,8,3), Avicenna could is the historical data in particulars summaries
over-ride both in theoretical medicine and of works, annotations and teaching of his
practical medicine from his predecessors and medical works, in particular his book of
his book of Canon could overshadow all Canon in the educational centers and
previous scientific works (8). institutions.
Opposite to the views of Ullmann (9) who Moreover, the findings of case studies by
believes the fame of Canon is due to the fame some researchers of the history of medicine
of its author, the majority of the researchers of have been used (in accordance with the first
the history of medicine believe that the method). The text of the article is also organ-
prevailing fame of this book in the course of ized in two parts. The first part is the posi-
many centuries in the east and the west of the tion of Avicenna medicine in Iran and the
world is due to its comprehensiveness, en- Islamic World and the second part is the

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lightening and innovations (8,10,11,12). position of Avicenna medicine in the Europe
According to some researches, the views and the west.
of Avicenna in diagnosis and treatment of . The place of Avicenna medicine in Iran and
some diseases, such as asthma is more precise the Muslim world
and effective than the findings of modern In the heritage of Islamic medicine, the
medicine (13), or in jaundice, biliary obstruc- names of tens of outstanding physicians and
tion and liver indigestion, his prescribed hundreds of medical works are shining, but
medicines are in conformity with the findings the name of Avicenna and his book of Canon
of new researches (14). in the Islamic east and the Christian west
Due to the important and lofty position of (See: Part Two) enjoys a specific position.
Avicenna and his book of Canon in the Since the age of Avicenna up to the present,
history of medicine, this article aims at re- more than 200 commentaries, annotations,
viewing the position of Avicenna medicine abridgements and translations in different
and his scientific influence in the history of languages of his book of Canon have been
the world medicine including the Islamic made (15). These statistics is unprecedented as
world and the western world from the 11th to compared with the works of other Islamic
17th centuries. physicians.
Commentaries, annotations, abridgments,
Materials and Methods translations and frequent manuscripts of
In order to achieve the objective of the Canon indicate that the book was used as a
article, i.e. the study of the position of textbook and instructors and students of
Avicenna medicine in the history of world medical sciences were giving attention to the
medicine, at least, two methods can be prac- medical school of Avicenna (3).
ticed: The first is the detailed study of the The date from which the Canon was
contents of all important medical works taught dates back to the age of Avicenna
which has written after Avicenna, to show the himself. According to Abu Ubayd al-Juzjni,
rate of his impact and adaptation of physi- a pupil and a close companion of Avicenna,
cians and authors of medical works from the the students used to come together at the resi-

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dence of Sheikh al-Raiss (Avicennas title) al-din were among the instructors of Canon in
every night and studied his book of Canon Cairo and Damascus (16).
and Shif one by one under his instruction (16). The last mentioned instructor encouraged
Ibn Abi Usaybaa also in presenting the his students to memorize the first book of
biography of Ibn Abi Sdiq, one of the Canon (Kitab al-Kollyyat, The Generalities).
students of Avicenna, speaks about the great One of his students, Hakim Shams al-Din,
fame, broad knowledge and multiplicity of the memorized the first book of Canon fully and
students of Avicenna (16). for this reason he was titles as Al-Kolli,
In the history of Islamic medical attributing to the book of al- Kolyyiat by
education, the book of Canon has a specific Avicenna (16).
and out-standing position (17). According to The story of the scientific trips of Qutb al-
Elgood (8), it was the most prevailing text din of Shiraz, the scientist of the 7th century
book in the Islamic World. A.H, to Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Sham and Anatolia
Qifti (18) also reiterates that the students (The Minor Asia) in order to compile a book
were primarily reading the book of al-Maliki on annotations of Canon known as al-Tohfa
by Ali Ibn Abbass al-Ahawazi, but after the tal-Saadia and his access to different
emergence of Canon, the book written by explanations about Canon and his meeting
Ahwazi was gradually forgotten (17). Arudhi with experts of Canon (Canonologist) and the
Samarqandi also in Chahar Maqaleh (19) con- famous instructors of Canon indicate the
siders Canon as the successor of all medical extraordinary significance of this book and its

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works and as the best textbook. In Iran and prevailing influence in the Islamic territories
Persian speaking territories, after the compila- outside Iran (22). It seems that the book of
tion of Zakhira Khawrazmshahi, teaching the Canon by Avicenna was not received warmly
original text of Canon was diminished. in Andalusia (Spain).
Elgood states: In the Safavid period, two Possibly, the Spanish physicians were in-
books were used by the students of medicine: tending to make the medical school of
One of them was Canon by Avicenna (usually Andalusia (Islamic west) independent from
its annotations and Persian summary) and the the medical school of the Islamic east
other was Zakhira Khawrazmshahi (20). Of (Avicenna medicine).
course Elgood (20) is in the opinion that This claim is confirmed by the sharp and
Zakhira does not have a big difference with frantic reaction of Ibn Zuhr (b.525), when a
Canon and in writing the book of Zakhira, tradesman from Iraq for the first time brought
Jurjani was so much under the influence of the book of Canon to Andalusia and offered
the book of Canon by Avicenna (21). that to him (16).
In the Indian sub-continent also the main Though, Smith (21) believes that it needs
text of medicine was Canon by Avicenna and further study to confirm that whether or not,
its summaries such as Al-Mjaz fi al-Tibb by the medicine of Islamic Spain had a less
Ibn al-Nafis from Damascus and Canuncha by reliance on the Avicenna medicine. However,
Chaghmini (9, 17). the historical documents confirm the super-
In addition to Iran and Indian sub- iority of Avicenna medicine over medical
continent, in Egypt and Sham (the former school of Andalusia, because in the Trans-
Syria), the book of Canon was also received lation House of Toledo and universities of the
warmly. Europe, it was the Canon of Avicenna which
Based on the reports of Ibn Abi Usaybaa, absorbed the attention of the western physi-
it is learned that teaching and interpreting cians to itself not the works of the Spanish
5 Canon was prevalent in Egypt and Sham. physicians (See: Second Part).
Afzal al-din Alkhonji, Hakim Baha al-din, In addition to all these explanations,
Fakhr al-din al-Mardini and Hakim Mohazzab annotations and summaries it is worthy of

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 Avicenna in the History of Medicine

mentioning among others for example a Ternovsky (11) also believes that the medical
supplement that has written by Ibn Sti on science of the former Soviet Union in subjects
the Treatise of Colic by Avicenna (16), critics, such as physiology, diagnosis of internal
in particular a critic by Ibn Nafis from diseases, sport and health, pediatrics and
Damascus, on duties of the organs of body pharmacology in the first half of the 20th
(Wazayif al-Aaz) in the book of Canon century were following and relying on the
(which led to the discovery of blood lung traditions of the Avicenna medicine (10). How-
circulation) (9) and translations (see: second ever, the high importance and the immense
part) which indicate the influence of Avicenna influence of Avicenna in the history of
on enrichment of the literature of Islamic medicine in the west should be pursued in the
medicine. Perhaps, this word by Nasr can be position and presence of his medical works in
cautiously accepted who said: "The book of the curriculum of some of the prestigious
Canon by Avicenna is the combination of all faculties of the Europe.
medical knowledge of the past and infra- There are evidences indicating that book
structure of all later publications" (23, 24). of Canon by Avicenna was noticed up to the
The contextual review of books such as early 20th century in some of the scientific
Zakhira Khawrazmshahi in the 12th century centers of the west (See: above). But at least
(17,20)
and the Khulsa al-Tajribb by Bah al- for five centuries since 13th to 17th it was
Dawla in the 16th century (8,20) confirm the one of the textbooks of most of the faculties
mentioned claim (8,16,21,25). of medicine in the Europe (3).

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The first university in the Europe which
. The place of Avicenna medicine in the
Europe and the West put the book of Canon formally as the base of
Since the second half of the twelfth its medical education was the University of
century when the Canon of Avicenna was Bologna (the oldest European university) in
translated into the Latin in Toledo in Spain, Italy in the 13th century (28). Other European
gradually, the Avicenna medicine dominated universities in which teaching the book of
the atmosphere of the western medicine. Canon was presented in their educational
Since then, most of the medical works of programs were Leuven in Belgium, Mont-
Avicenna has been translated into different pellier in France (3) and Krakow in Poland (27).
languages and also hundreds of scientific and When in the 14th century, the first faculty of
research works were written about his medicine in the Krakow University of Poland
medicine (1). The fame and scientific was established, the works of Avicenna were
dominancy of Avicenna in the western lands the bases of educational materials. It was
was to the extent that he was named as Emir envisaged in the approved curriculum of the
(Ruler) of the Physicians (3) and his book of mentioned faculty (approved in 1536) that the
Canon was termed as the Medicine Bible (26). students of medicine should study parts of the
For centuries in the west, the standard of first and the fourth book of Canon for their
ability in medicine was skillfulness in the theoretical and practical courses (27).
Avicenna medicine (9,27). Despite the anti- Moreover, in (1475), Professor Jelonk also
Arabic/ Islamic movement in the beginning of published a book as a guide to teach the first
the 16th century in some European countries book of Canon, Kitb al- Kolyyt, (27).
and the hard stances of figures such as The various translations and frequent
Davinchi and Paracelsus against the Avicenna prints of the book of Canon in the Europe was
medicine, there was a strong fortress round the result of the global importance of this
the Avicenna in the west which was never book and a response to the needs of the
collapsed (8), and even his influence continued medicine educational centers. The book of
Canon was for the first time translated into 6
up to first half of the past century in some of
the western countries such as Belgium (2, 8). Latin by Gerard de Cremona the greatest

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translator of the school of Toledo in the late emerged in different dimensions: Treatment,
12th century (8). Later on, in the early 16th publications and education. In the present
century, Andra Alpago, the physician and article, the impact of Avicenna in the treat-
orientalist, corrected and edited the translation ment dimension has not been tackled-with the
of Gerard (9). exception of a short reference-and this issue is
This very Latin translation of Canon and in need of an independent research. But in
also along with its Arabic text have been the two other dimensions, it was clearly
printed and published for about 40 times in observed that to a great extent, the medical
the Europe including Milan (1473), Padua works of Avicenna were received by the
(1476), Venice (1482, 1507,1544, 1591, author physicians and medical educational
1708) and Rome (1593) (1,3,17,29). In addition to centers. Of course, the two educational and
the Latin language, all or parts of Canon has publishing dimensions of Avicenna medicine
been translated and published in the European were interacting with each other. That is to
languages such as Russian (11,4), Polish (27), say that teaching the book of Canon (as an
German (1) and English (8). The Hebrew trans- example) gave rise to the emergence of
lation of Canon was published in Napoli in various and different publications (including
1941 (3). annotations, summaries and translations)
In addition to Canon, other medical works about Canon. These various publications in
of Avicenna has been received by the turn, made the thriving state of teaching
translators and physicians of the west. Al- Canon in the medical centers and among the

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Urjza fi al-Tibb which is the summary of instructors of medicine.
Avicenna medicine in poetry form (including Based on this, the works which had
1326 couplets) was translated by Gerard de appeared in the world of Islam (with the ex-
Cremona in Latin and published for six times ception of Andalusia) relying on the works by
in the Europe during 15th to 17th centuries (3). Avicenna are innumerable, and the superior
The first print of this translation along with position of Canon among the reference
the annotations by Ibn Rushd was published medical book in the formal and informal
in Venice in 1485 (3). The French translation institutions of medical education in India,
of the mentioned work also (along with Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Sham, Rum (the Minor
Arabic text and Latin translation) were printed Asia) and the Europe is unique as compared
and published in 1956 (3). One of the important with the works of other Muslim and non-
works of Avicenna is a book about the muslim physicians. Finally, it can be claimed
treatment of kidney diseases which was that the medical school of Avicenna is the
translated by Andrea Alpago into Latin and base and mother of the new medicine, as his
published in Venice in 1547 (3). Also, the Canon was the complete set of the medical
Latin translation of heart medicines under the views before him and the infrastructure of the
title Medicamenta Cordialis was translated by medical works after him. Of course, as in the
Arnold of Villanova and published in 1482 (3, past century, some of the researchers of
See also: 8). medicine in different countries casted doubt
on some of the modern medicine in some
Results cases or reconsidered them based on the
Reviewing all the past discussions, it can diagnosis and prescriptions of Avicenna, it
be concluded that medicine in the 11th to 17th will be appropriate that this view to be
centuries both in the Islamic world and the followed by the researchers of medicine.
Europe was greatly under the influence of
Avicenna medicine with the focus on his great Acknowledgement
7 book of Canon. The impact of the Avicenna I feel bound to express my sincere thanks
medicine in the history of medicine has to the following scholars who helped me

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 Avicenna in the History of Medicine

develop this article in one way or another: and its comparing with standards of modern
Prof. Dr. Hadi Alem Zadeh, Dr. Mohammad medicine. In: Jashn Nameh Ibn Sina, Vol. 2,
Tehran: Council of National Works Press;1334
Mehdi Akhoondi (Head of the Avicenna A.H.,91-111.
Research Institute), Dr. Ali Ardekani, (Chief
14. Nafisi A. Some biliary herbal drugs which has
editor of Avicenna Journal of Medical Bio-
been mentioned in the second book of Kanun and
technology) and Mr. Abdolmajid Eskandari. comparing them with Modern Pharmacology. In:
Jashn Nameh Ibn Sina, Vol.2. Tehran: Council of
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