Islamic physicians in history
The encyclopaedic knowledge of Avicenna

Ibn-Sina's full name is Abu- Ali Husayn lbn-Abdullah lbn-Sina, and his titles were Al-Shaykh Al-Rais (The Chief Master) or Al-Muallim Al- Thani (The Second Teacher), second to Aristotle. He is known in the West as Avicenna. Avicenna was born in 980AD in Kharmaithen (near Bukhara), Central Asia (now Uzbekistan).

Ibn Sina's father was the governor of a village in one of Nuh ibn Mansur's estates. He was educated by his father, whose home was a meeting place for men of learning in the area. Certainly Ibn Sina was a remarkable child, with a memory and an ability to learn which amazed the scholars who met in his father's home.

By the age of 10, he was already proficient in the Qur'an and Arabic classics. When Ibn Sina reached the age of 13 he began to study medicine. He had mastered that subject by the age of 16 when he began to treat patients.

At 16 he finished Islamic law studies, geometry, anatomy, logic and philosophy. His metaphysics were influenced by an earlier philosopher in Islam, Al-Farabi. Soon after his 18th birthday, he became the Prime Minister (the Visier) and Court- Physician of Prince Mansur.

It was his skill in medicine that was to prove of great value to ibn Sina for it was through his reputation in that area that the Samanid ruler of Bakhara Nuh ibn Mansur came to hear of him.

After Ibn Sina had cured the Samanid ruler of an illness, as a reward, he was allowed to use the Royal Library of the Samanids which was unique in its literary richness and which proved important for Ibn Sina's development in a whole range of scholarship. Ibn-Sina wrote his first book at the age of 21.

Then he became Visier of Ali ibn Maimun, the ruler of Khawarazm or Khiva. But he ultimately fled to avoid being kidnapped by the Sultan Mohammed El- Ghazin. Ironically, fate played an important role in the life of Avicenna who was a master in planning. The ruler of Hainadan, the southern part of Persia, who was called Amir Shwnsu'd- Dawla, had renal colic. Ibn- Sina treated the Amir's colic.

The latter was very pleased and appointed Ibn-Sina, not only his Court Physician but also his Visier. Avicenna was a proud and arrogant man.

He created enemies which lead to a mutiny of the military leaders against him resulting in his dismissal and imprisonment. Fortunately, the Amir got renal colic once more and no one could relieve his pain. He thus again summoned Avicenna who cured him.

The Amir apologised to Avicenna and reinstated him. Avicenna's life during this time was extraordinarily strenuous. All day he was busy with the Amir's services. A great part of the night was passed in lecturing and writing his books, with intervals of wine-drinking, music, and minstrelsy. After many vicissitudes, worn out by hard work and hard living, Avicenna died and was buried in Hamadan, Persia, in 1037AD at a relatively early age of 57.

In his last illness, he treated himself unsuccessfully, so that it was said by his detractors that neither could his physics save his body nor his metaphysics save his soul. Avicenna wrote 100 treatises, 21 of them major of which 16 were in medicine. His medical treatise titled Al-Qanon fi Al- Tibb (Canon of Medicine) was an encyclopedia containing more than one million words and was composed of five volumes:

Volume I described the principles and theories of medicine.

Volume II contained the simple drugs arranged alphabetically.

Volume III described localised diseases of the body from the head to the toes.

Volume IV was addressed to generalised diseases of the body such as fevers.

Volume V explained compound drugs.

The Canon of Medicine contained all medical knowledge up to the 10th century. It was translated into many languages and was the reference for medical schools in Europe up to the 17th century.

Although the Canon was a great book, it was overshadowed by prior important works by Al-Razi and Al- Zahrawi, and subsequent works by Ibn-Al-Nafis, Ali Ibn-Abbas and Halle Abbas.

Avicenna wrote Arabic and Persian poems. The last of his Arabic poems, considered a classical beauty, describes the descent of the soul into the body from the higher sphere which is its home.

Avicenna is considered a great philosopher and his writings affected the thinkers and influenced many of those who appeared after him.

He was a unique phenomenon, not only because of his encyclopedic accomplishments in medicine, but also because of the versatility of his genius. He has been compared in this respect with Aristotle, Leonardo da Vinci and Goethe.

Courtesy Dr Sharif Al Ghazal who works in the United Kingdom as a plastic surgeon. He is one of the founders and executive members of the International Society for History of Islamic Medicine (ISHIM).

Website: www.ishim.net