Greek and Other Influences
Islamic medicine built on the legacies left behind by Greek and Roman physicians and scholars and further improved it, then forming their own. Islam's own physicians and scholars were deeply influenced by Hippocrates and Galen, who were regarded as the fathers of medicine, and also the Greek scholars of Alexandria, Egypt.
Medical Knowledge
Muhammad ibn Zakariya
al-Razi (Rhazes)
Muslim scholars translated ancient medical text from the Greeks to learn their medical knowledge. Caeserean birth to save the child in case the mother died, the use of herbs and drugs to treat illnesses and alcohol as antiseptic were just part of what they learnt.Not only that, the Muslim scholars added some of their own medical knowledge from the studies that they had carried out to further improve their knowledge.Al-Razi(picture), also known as Rahzes in the Western world at the time, was one of the greatest names of the medical world at that time. A physician who was also trained in music, alchemy and philosophy, was instrumental in the rise of Islamic medicine. He contributed to deciding the location of the first hospital in Baghdad by hanging many pieces of meat all around the city, and then finding the quarter of Baghdad where the meat putrified the slowest. Rhazes also wrote numerous books on medicine, including topics like kidney stones and bladder stones, and ways of treating smallpox, measles, etc. The Comprehensive Book on Medicine( Kitab al-Hawi fi al-tibb) was perhaps the most sought after book that Rhazes had written. It included views of Greek, Persian, Indian, and Arab doctors about all kinds of diseases as well as notes from his own personal experiences.
Hospitals
An Islamic doctor examining a sick patient
The hospital was one of the greatest achievements of the Islamic medieval Islamic society. The first Islamic hospital was built in the city of Baghdad, and more were built after that. In the 10th century, hospitals in Baghdad would include a pharmacy, a library and a small mosque in it. Hospitals were also built around garden courtyards as doctors believed that running water and gardens would speed up the recovery process of a patient. In Islam, there was a general imperative to treat everybody the same way regardless of age, social status, etc. Thus, the hospitals were open to all, male and female, civilan and military, adult and child, rich and poor, Muslims and non-Muslims. Qualified doctors there who were treating the sick helped to teach medical students as well, and gave them practical work to do, for example, treating patients.
Modern Practice of Islamic Medicine
A surgeon performing a surgery using an anesthetic sponge
Although western medicine is the leading the way for medicine, Islamic medicine that is preserved over more than a thousand years is still in use today. They are practised by many Muslim countries scattered all over the world. In India, there are established medical schools that teaches Islamic Medicine and Greek medicine. These schools give their graduates formal diplomas which enables them to be recognised as licensed practitioners.