 | The contributions of such Muslims as Avicenna (980-1037 A.D.), author of the first textbook of medicine, "al-Qanun fi al-Tibb" ("The Canon of Medicine: Laws of Medicine"), are highlighted in the new exhibit. |
The important innovations that Muslim scholars and doctors introduced into the field of medicine are highlighted in an exhibition at the Sterling Memorial Library.
Titled "Muslims' Contributions to Medieval Medicine and Pharmacology," the display includes a collection of manuscripts from the Historical Medical Collection at the Yale Medical Library. The exhibit was organized by Simon Samoeil, curator of the Near East Collection at Sterling Memorial Library.
The establishment of Arab domain over former empires such as those of the Greeks, Persians and Romans led to the inheritance of many flourishing scholarly disciplines, among which were the developing fields of medicine and pharmacology, notes Samoeil. An organized effort was made by the governors of the new Islamic empire to encourage and support these disciplines, with a view to translating previous scholarship from other languages into Arabic to enable continuing study and development.
In addition to this very vital contribution, notes Samoeil, Muslims introduced new fields of medical research and clinical practice, focusing on the care of mothers and children, gynecology and embryology. They also contributed to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of many new diseases such as smallpox and measles. In contrast to the Greek tradition, which excluded surgery, Muslim doctors were the first to incorporate it into the study of medicine and developed its practice and techniques.
The structure and organization of modern hospitals follow the pattern of ninth-century Islamic hospitals, which had open admission policies for patients of all economic backgrounds, regardless of sex, religion and ethnicity, explains Samoeil. A large administrative staff ran them, and some hospitals could accommodate as many as 8,000 patients. They were separated into different wards by gender and nature of illness. Hospitals had their own pharmacies and facilities in which medicines were prepared, and each hospital had its own apprenticeship program where students obtained practical experience under the guidance of a physician.
The exhibit will be featured in the display cases near the Sterling circulation desk until the end of August. For further information, visit the website at www.library.yale.edu.
T H I S
Muslims' contributions to field
of medicine documented in display
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