The <em>Canon of Medicine</em> was the standard medical text in the East and West until about the 16<sup>th</sup> century. It is a five volume medical encyclopedia written by the Persian Muslim scientist Ibn Sina (Iqbal). It was completed in 1025. It is considered one of the most famous books in medical history.  “The <em>Canon of Medicine</em> was translated into Latin and was used more than Hippocrates and Galen in Europe” (Gallagher). This piece of literature should be preserved for generations to come because it set the basis for many medical procedures, introduced medical terminology, and ultimately showed how one man’s discoveries can spread throughout the world and cause a positive impact.
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At this time historically, countries across the world were striving to advance in ways of knowledge, religion, art, and ultimately power. In the Islamic lands, the church and the state were inseparable, thus theocratic rule was present. This type of rule brought a strong sense of unity to the Islamic culture. “Islamic,” then, is a term used to describe the culture of geographically diverse regions—Arab and non-Arab—dominated by Islam” (Fiero B2.54).

Islam was openly receptive to the achievements in intellect from other cultures and had a strong will to discover the workings of the natural world. There were few Westerners who could read or write Latin; Arab scholars preserved works of Greek manuscripts, like those from Aristotle, Plato, Hippocrates, etc., by translating them into Arabic. Paper, which was invented in China as early as the second century, was widely available in Baghdad from the ninth century and on. Paper in the Islamic world was used to produce new literature like cookbooks, poems, tales, and scientific treatises (Fiero, B2.54). Muslims made contributions to the Western World, too. They made contributions in math, medicine, chemistry, optics, astronomy, philosophy, and geography.

The <em>Canon of Medicine</em> is typical of this era because the world at the time, both Eastern and Western, was searching for explanations and knowledge, especially in the medicinal field. There were new discoveries in different aspects of life, from mathematics to anatomy. Intellectualists, Ibn Sina included, were avid in inventing new concepts or proving new theories that could be revolutionary.

This work is innovative of its time because he gave new ideas to the field of medicine. He believed medicine was divided into two categories: theoretical and practical. He believed illnesses were caused by internal or external causes. Internal illnesses were those that were caused by an imbalance of temperament in the human body or are the result of psychological elements (Aminrazavi). External causes were of course caused by the environment or external harm.

In the first volume of the <em>Canon of Medicine</em>, Ibn Sina stated, “Medicine is the science of knowing the structure of the human body” (Aminrazavi). He discussed the fundamentals necessary to maintain human health as well as surgery being an independent branch of medicine. He greatly elaborates on anatomy and proposed many innovative ways on how the body is composed structurally.

In the second volume, Ibn Sina explains different healing properties of simple and compound drugs and their applications. In the third and fourth volumes, he expresses his diagnosis of a variety of illnesses, from meningitis and cancer to tuberculosis and gastrointestinal illnesses. In the fifth volume, he offers discussion of pharmacology, providing a detailed description of many medications’ effects on the body (Aminrazavi).

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At the time, this work was greatly accepted by people. Some of the observations Ibn Sina had were very ahead of his time. People were blown away by the complexity and creativity of many of his proposals. For example, he attributed to the cause of plague to mice, commented on many contagious diseases, proposed using horse hair for stitches during surgery, experimented with different drugs for anesthesia, described surgical procedures, proposed certain spices could be used to help with blood clotting after a surgery, and understood the relationship between temperature and the spread of diseases (Aminrazavi).

Today, the impact of the <em>Canon of Medicine</em> can still be seen. In many Islamic countries, Ibn Sina’s technical medical terminology is still used (Aminrazavi). It set the foundation for many surgeries, pharmacology practices, and illness diagnoses. People today, especially those in the medical field, are grateful for Ibn Sina’s research, experimentation, and innovative ideas. During the eleventh century, people were less intelligent of the medical field so were more shocked by Ibn Sina’s introduction of his ideas to the medical world. Today, people, especially from Islamic countries, are appreciative that he did create this book and because of this, the techniques and observations have been further tested and elaborated upon. “The historical museum in Bukhara displays many of his writings, surgical instruments from the period when he practiced medicine, and paintings of patients undergoing treatment” (Kerschberg).

Ibn Sina’s Canon of Medicine personally impressed me. For someone to even imagine some of his ideas about surgery, illness, and medicine astounds me. He was so advanced for his time and it is amazing that he contributed so much to the world of medicine. For one person to be so devoted to studies of the body and to discover so many new ideas is absolutely great.

The <em>Canon of Medicine</em> can be compared to the Tacuinum Sanitatis. This medieval health handbook was created by Arab physicians who examined the effects of various foods, drinks, and clothing on human well-being (Fiero, B2.54). The Tacuinum Sanitatis was created by multiple physicians, and did not offer as astounding ideas to medicine like Ibn Sina’s work did. But, both pieces contributed ample knowledge to the medicinal world and both, after translated to Latin, spread throughout the West. Both pieces preached that a healthy life is lived in harmony and promoted healthy living.

It is important for future generations to know that the <em>Canon of Medicine</em> was the foundation for a great amount of introductory ideas on surgery, illness, medicine, and ultimately healthy living. It formed “formed the basis of teaching at all European universities” from the twelfth century and on (Iqbal). It is important that generations ahead see how a single person’s discoveries can change the world forever. This great encyclopedia should inspire us all to feed our hunger for knowledge and discovery. Many of Ibn Sina’s ideas were elaborated upon and have evolved into some of the most successful and accurate ideas and procedures used in today’s medicinal world.

Works Cited:

Aminrazavi, Mehdi. "Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna)." <em>Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures</em>. Ed. Helaine Selin. 2nd ed. Berlin, Germany: Springer, 2008. 1119-1121. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. I gathered the majority of my information from here. It elaborated on the Canon of Medicine so I got details on the piece.

Fiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. 6th. McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. This is a humanities online textbook. I gathered information on Islamic culture, contributions, and other literature. I also got information on the comparison piece.

Gallagher, Nancy. "Healing and Medicine: Healing and Medicine in Islamic Texts and Traditions." <em>Encyclopedia of Religion</em>. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 6. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 3831-3833. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. I gathered information on what an impact Ibn Sina’s work had on the world.

Iqbal, Muzaffar. "Avicenna." <em>Encyclopedia of Science and Religion</em>. Ed. J. Wentzel Vrede van Huyssteen. Vol. 1. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2003. 49-51. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. This article discussed Ibn Sina’s life and accomplishments.

Kerschberg, Benjamin S. "Ibn Sina." <em>Berkshire Encyclopedia of World History</em>. Ed. William H. McNeill, Jerry H. Bentley, and David Christian. Vol. 3. Great Barrington, MA: Berkshire Publishing, 2005. 951-952. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. I gathered information on Ibn Sina and saw how he is appreciated today.