TY - JOUR

T1 - Arabic Medicine and its Transfer to Europe

AU - Provencal, Philippe

PY - 2017/2

Y1 - 2017/2

N2 - Arabic Medicine is defined as the medicinal tradition andknowledge found in classical Islamic civilization, and forwhich classical Arabic was the written medium. This paperdescribes Arabic Medicine, its origin in Classical Antiquity, itsevolution during the Classical Islamic period going from 750CE to approximately 1400 CE, and how this medical traditionwas brought to Europe during the late Middle Ages. After theArab conquests following the advent of Islam, the medicaltraditions of the conquered lands were studied and medicaltexts were translated to Arabic. The main contributors wereclassical Greek medical texts, and Arabic Medicine continuedthe Hippocratic–Galenic tradition from Antiquity, although tothis tradition was added materials from Persian and Indianorigins. The different medical traditions were subsequentlyintegrated in the works of important scholars like ar-Razi,al-Maju si, and Ibn Sina and augmented with original researchand new discoveries. Establishing modern-style hospitals mustbe regarded as one of the great achievements in classicalIslamic civilization, not only permitting an effective treatmentof patients but also allowing medical teaching as well asoriginal research. From 1077 CE and especially in the tenthcentury, important Arabic medical texts written were translatedinto Latin and gave the impetus to new academic medicalteachings and activities in Europe.

AB - Arabic Medicine is defined as the medicinal tradition andknowledge found in classical Islamic civilization, and forwhich classical Arabic was the written medium. This paperdescribes Arabic Medicine, its origin in Classical Antiquity, itsevolution during the Classical Islamic period going from 750CE to approximately 1400 CE, and how this medical traditionwas brought to Europe during the late Middle Ages. After theArab conquests following the advent of Islam, the medicaltraditions of the conquered lands were studied and medicaltexts were translated to Arabic. The main contributors wereclassical Greek medical texts, and Arabic Medicine continuedthe Hippocratic–Galenic tradition from Antiquity, although tothis tradition was added materials from Persian and Indianorigins. The different medical traditions were subsequentlyintegrated in the works of important scholars like ar-Razi,al-Maju si, and Ibn Sina and augmented with original researchand new discoveries. Establishing modern-style hospitals mustbe regarded as one of the great achievements in classicalIslamic civilization, not only permitting an effective treatmentof patients but also allowing medical teaching as well asoriginal research. From 1077 CE and especially in the tenthcentury, important Arabic medical texts written were translatedinto Latin and gave the impetus to new academic medicalteachings and activities in Europe.

M3 - Journal article

SP - 1

EP - 8

JO - International Journal of History and Philosophy of Medicine

JF - International Journal of History and Philosophy of Medicine

IS - 8

ER -