Thousand-year anniversary of the historical book: “Kitab al-Qanun fit-Tibb”- The Canon of Medicine, written by Abdullah ibn Sina

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ks III and IV, which are also unsuitable for today's time. Book I, considered by some authors, requires careful revision and backup. The philosophy of Ibn Sina is set between the best of the Platoon's idealism and Aristotle's dualism.[1 2 12] Modifying his position with Empedocles’ vitalism, he gives a unique view on object and life, body and mind. His method of observation and analyzing, with an adequate use of logic and intellect, his strict determinism and insisting on controlled experiment, gave medicine the opportunity to become a natural science. Ibn Sina believes in the unity of the human persona, as a union of the body and non-materialistic soul, and with this statement he goes in places besides the Cannon. From the scientific point of view, the specific strength and weakness of the Cannon lies in the passion of observing, classifying and generalizing. Ibn Sina's theory about the interaction of 4 causes explains disease as a product of 1) heritage, 2) environment, 3) strength of constitution and quality of temperament, 4) the strain of nature towards life and the integrity of function. Concept of which, Sina requires to be seen as the truth are the elements-symbols of mass and energy; temperament-energy pattern of body as a whole; humor-structural material for body and source of energy for labor; power-the strength or control of organs and their functions; and finally, the vital energy-metabolic energy for the organization and differentiation of life. From the scientific point of view, as a method of study and analyses, todays scientist are direct descendants of Ibn Sina and his predecessors; Al-Razes, Galen and Aristotle. However, as the concept of science is continuously changing with the accumulation of new knowledge, Sina's way of presenting is a concept truthful for all times. This impression impacted on his descendants as if any other literature on medicine is unnecessary and so they acted repulsive (neglecting to consult any other medical literature), all of which had big influence on further progress in the centuries to come. This, in any case, is not Sina's mistake in presenting the Cannon to the doctors of general practice, and is no reason to avoid objective examination of the Cannon because of its useful ideas which he has left us as his testament.[1 4] Besides Al-Qanun, Ibn Sina wrote many more disputes on medicine in which he answered the requests given out by doctors of his time, such as, “Risaletu fi el-edevijjeh el-kalbijjeh”, “En-Nebd”, “Al-Kulendz” etc. It is said that he also wrote poem rejjes on medicine, such as the one with a thousand verses; in which medical tuition is compressed. The glory of Al-Qanun lies within its systematic writing in beautiful formulations which obtain all information needed. It was the main source of knowledge in the middle ages widely examined in madrasa schools in the East and universities in the West. Cremon translated Al-Qanun in Toledo, from Arabic to Latin. As soon as the Latin version was available, the book became a huge success so it was once again translated in local dialects. It was also decorated with very intense covering and illustrations, which can be seen from manuscripts that have withstood time and are from the thirteenth century. That is the time when “Al-Edevijjeh and al-Kalibijjeh” and the poem rejjes on medicine was also translated. The European universities accepted Al-Qanun as the main source in studying medicine, especially in England and Scotland. The first one, who officially accepted it, was the University in Poland in the 13th century. From that time, Ibn Sina's Al-Qanun was conquering European Latin universities and schools and represented half of all the medical manuals in the rest of the universities in Europe in the fifteenth century. Al-Qanun remained at the top all until the seventeenth century, until the rise of the medicine based on experimental knowledge and methods. In 1650, Al-Qanun was studied only in two Universities: Louvain and Montpellier. From this short historical review, it is easy to understand why Ibn Sina is seen as a doctor more often than as a philosopher.[2] Muslims inherited Greek medicine through two different schools: The first one is Hypocrite's and the second is Galen's. Besides this, Ibn Sina did not merely just follow these schools, he united them, synthesized their teachings and gave them a new Avicenna look, adding what he found out personally on experimental learning. The fast progress which followed is mostly because of his experiments. In his biography Ibn Sina says: “Medicine is not a difficult science, in it I set off in a short period of time, while other eminent doctors started reading about medicine, healing the sick, they opened the door of experimentation for me on what could be seen.” Ibn Sina didn’t give up on experiments, so he tried out many theories that could be found in Al-Qanun, some of them lost because he wrote them down on notes and died before adding them in the book. Ibn Sina made the rules for experimenting and he was the first to conduct the modern scientific method. In this experimental method, the true genius of Ibn Sina's originality could be seen; in it is his glory not only as a doctor, but as a philosopher, since many of his philosophical teaching came out from his scientific method. In addition to his classification of diseases on general and special, Ibn Sina explained ways of identifying diseases and treating every organ. Conducting experiments Ibn Sina found many medications for different diseases. Although, surgery was not progressing immensely during his time, therefore, he was not able to perform large surgical procedures, Ibn Sina distingushed himself in the field of small surgical procedures, especially in connection with malignant tumors. This is described by Dr. Kazim Ismail, the dean of the Istanbul University, in his lecture at the Ibn Sina symposium i Baghdad: “Ibn Sina's views on carcinoma are correct. Taking in context, today's medicine there is no place for denying its significance. He analyzed precisely the tumor in the body, concluding that it appears more often in women. If the carcinoma is internal, it develops successively and there is no use of treatment. If the carcinoma is external, then treatment and cure is possible if the physician intervenes in the beginning when the tumor is still small and applies a surgical procedure to cut it off in its roots.” Ibn Sina was the first physician who claimed the appearance of tumors in the spinal cord possible. He was one of those who researched diseases connected to ventricular ulcer, dyspepsia and collitis-he was suffering himself of. He claimed, there are two different causes of dyspepsia. The first one is psychological, and the second one organic. This claim made him one of the first connecting psychological factors with occurrence of diseases. We mentioned some of the diseases and procedures explained by Ibn Sina, now we can ask a question: What is the value of Ibn Sina's medicine in the modern time? The answer to this question differs widely among the researchers. Some of them speaking about different aspects of Ibn Sina's medicine in Bagdhad or Teheran, claim him to be one of the greatest and many of his teachings and discoveries being followed till this age, as can be seen on the example of diabetes. One of those scholars is Muhammad Vehbi. He claims that Ibn Sina discovered the blood stream 600 yers before William Harvey. Namely, Ibn Sina discovered that the embrio is connected to the placenta with two arteries, and later described the circulation of the blood over the liver to the heart. Further, he precisely described the consequences of stone building in the bladder almost as correct as it would be described in todays medical textbooks. He is the first who correctly described meningitis, and the difference between meningitis and other inflammation and similar diseases. He was the first physician who performed treatment by injecting a needle under the skin and the first who used anesthesia before performing surgery. Although, these words contain magnification of the Islamic physician, most of it is true. There is no doubt that science progressed immensely from the 17th century till today. There is also no doubt that science cannot be perfected at once, but it takes phases and steps. The Ancient Egyptians, then the Ancient Greek, and then Ibn Sina contributed immensely to the development of science we know today. It is enough merit that his work was studied and taken as guide for hundreds of years by eastern and western scholars. The author of this text had the opportunity to speak and exchange experience on Ibn Sina›s scientific opus with the most prominent “avicennologists” of today professor Karl Holubar, medical historian from the University of Vienna, and professor Fuat Sezgin, Chairman of the Institute for Islamic Sciences in Frankfurt on Main and the editor of 100 Books of Islamic medicine (the author of this text is the owner of one of the 80 printed books of this edition).[14 15] and the author of the most omprehensie encyclopaedia of islamic sciences, and professor Arslan Terzioglu from Istanbul, who wrote several books about Ibn Sina during his lifetime. The author owns two of the three examples of the Canon of Medicine in Bosnia and Herzegovina. One is a heritage from his grandfather muderris hadzi Ismail ef. Masic, from his own library.[16 17] This example was printed in 1872. in Loknau, India [Figure 1]. The third example is owned by the Gazi Husrev-beg's library in Sarajevo (founded in 1537.). This example was originally from the Karađoz-beg's library in Mostar copied in beautiful writing the Egyptian Abdurezzaq bin Nasiruddin al-Misri in the 16th or 17th century. The manuscript›s first part is incomplete. It was torn appart and lost. The manuscript starts with the seventh fenn (chapter) about the adornments of the human body, starting with the hair. There is also a fourth example of the Canon in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Russian translation, that belonged to the late professor Salko Ramic, professor of Chemistry at the Medical Faculty of Sarajevo. Figure 1 Cover page of the book “Al-Qanun fit-tibb”, printed in Loknaw (India) in 1987, from Izet Masic's library (owner was his groundfather Ismail-eff. Masic, muderris) The thousand year anniversary of the work “Al-Qanun fit-Tibb” by Abdullah Ibn Sina Important events and personalities deserve to be written about, in order to introduce them and their achievements to new generations and to be an example of work and progress that is worthy to be followed.[9 10 18 19 20] This year 2012. marks the thousandth anniversary of Abdulah Ibn Sina beginning to write one of the greatest works in the history of medicine-the Canon of Medicine “Al-Qanun fit-Tibb”. He was working on it for twelve years. It was translated into more than 30 languages and dialects. Even the comments on this work of another great scholar Ibn Nafis were translated into the Bosnian language in 1963. As “Mudgaz al-Qanun”. The author of this text, together with his collegue Zoran Riđanović, did the editing of this work and printed it in 50 copies in the year 1995. in war-torn Sarajevo, while it was still under the siege. Today these copies are collectors items, and a mark that the birth and realization of ideas cannot be stopped by darkness, cold, deficiency of food and material as it was the case during the Siege of Sarajevo from 1992-1995, when we were writing about the first and second Avicenna-Abdullah Ibn Sina and Allaudin ibn Nafis. As an old Arab proverb says “The rank of science is the highest rank” [Figure 2 and 3]. Figure 2 Cover page of the book written by Izet Masic et al. “Life and work of Ibn Sina - Avicenna”, published in Sarajevo during wartime, in 1995 Figure 3 Cover page of the book writen by Izet Masic et al. “Contribution of Islamic Tradition to Development of Medical Sciences, published in Sarajevo in 1997 About Ibn Sina and his contribution to medicine, many books and papers were written in almost all parts of the world. All authors agree that he was a great historical personality and that his influence on the progress of medicine and sciene was immense. They also agree that there are certain exaggerations concering his contribution, but they are united in the claim that The Canon of Medicine was something like a medical bible for hundreds of years, without medicine could not been studied. Therefore, it was necessary to mention the anniversary of Ibn Sina beginning to write one of the greatest and most influential works in the history of medicine-the Canon of Medicine. Ibn Sina left us an eternal work that will surely be mentioned and maybe even used again in the future. Because Avicenism, or traditional, alternative, complementary medicine is marking its renaissance.

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Avicenna (980-1037 AD).

Alireza Mehdizadeh, Mohammad M. Zarshenas, Arman Zargaran … (2012)

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Why historians of medicine called Ibn al-Nafis second Avicenna?

Mirza Dilic, Nedzad Rustempasic, Emir Solakovic … (2007)

At the end of IX and beginning of the X century begins development and renaissance of the medicine called Arabic, and which main representatives were: Ali at-Taberi, Ahmed at-Taberi, Ar-Razi (Rhazes), Ali ibn al-Abbas al-Magusi (Haly), ibn al-Baitar, ibn al-Qasim al-Zahrawi (Abulcasis), ibn Sina (Avicenna), ibn al-Haitam (Alhazen), ibn Abi al-Ala Zuhr (Avenzor), ibn Rushd (Averroes) and ibn al-Nafis. Doctors Taberi, Magusi and Razi were born as Persians. Each of the listed great doctors of the Arab medicine in their own way made legacy to the medical science and profession, and left lasting impression in the history of medicine. Majority of them is well known in the West well and have their place in the text-books as donors of significant medical treasure, without which medicine would probably, especially the one at the Middle dark century, be pale and prosaic, insufficiently studied and misunderstood, etc. Abdullah ibn Sina (Avicenna) remained unsurpassed in the series of above listed. Close to him can only come Alauddin ibn al-Nafis, who will in mid-XII century rebut some of the theories made by Avicenna and all his predecessors, from which he collected material for his big al-Kanun fit-tibb (Cannon of medicine). Cannon will be commended for centuries and fulfilled with new knowledge. One of the numerous and perhaps the best comments-Excerpts is from Nafis-Mugaz al-Quanun, article published as a reprint in War Sarajevo under the siege during 1995 in Bosnian language, translated from Arabic by the professor Sacir Sikiric and chief physician Hamdija Karamehmedovic in 1961. Today, at least 740 years since professor from Cairo and director of the Hospital A-Mansuri in Cairo Alauddin ibn Nefis (1210-1288), in his paper about pulse described small (pulmonary) blood circulatory system and coronary circulation. At the most popular search engines very often we can find its name, especially in English language. Majority of quotes about al-Nafis are on Arabic or Turkish language, although Ibn Nafis discovery is of world wide importance. Author of this article is among rare ones who in some of the indexed magazines emphasized of that event, and on that debated also some authors from Great Britain and USA in the respectable magazine Annals of Internal medicine. Citations in majority mentioning other two "describers" or "discoverers" of pulmonary blood circulation, Miguel de Servet (1511-1553), physician and theologian, and William Harvey (1578-1657), which in his paper "An Anatomical Exercise on the Motion of the Hearth and Blood in Animals" published in 1628 described blood circulatory system. Ibn Nafis is due to its scientific work called "Second Avicenna". Some of his papers, during centuries were translated into Latin, and some published as a reprint in Arabic language. Significance of Nafis epochal discovery is the fact that it is solely based on deductive impressions, because his description of the small circulation is not occurred by in vitro observation on corps during section. It is known that he did not pay attention to the Galen theories about blood circulation. His prophecy sentence say: "If I don't know that my work will not last up to ten thousand years after me, I would not write them" Sapient sat. Searching the newest data about all three authors: Alauddin ibn Nafis (1210-1288), Michael Servetus (1511-1533) and William Harvey (1628) in the prestige Wikipedia I manage to link several most relevant facts, based on which we can in more details explain to whom from these three authors the glory and the right to call them self first describer of the pulmonary and cardiac circulation belongs. About Servetus and Harvey there is much more data than on ibn Nafis, about which on Google there are mainly references in Arabic and Turkish language, and my four references on Bosnian, with the abstracts in English. Probably the language barrier was one of the key reasons that we know so little about Nafis and so little is written, although respectable professor Fuat Sezgin from Frankfurt in 1997 published comprehensive monograph about this great physician, scientist and explorer, in which papers we can clearly recognize detailed description of the pulmonary and cardiac circulation. Also, I personally published separate monographs about this scientist, and which can be found on www. avicenapublisher.org.

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On occasion of 800th anniversary of birth of Ibn al-Nafis--discoverer of cardiac and pulmonary circulation.

Izet Masic (2009)

With Ibn Sina great Canon came the "golden age of Arabic medicine", almost to its peak. Since the beginning of XI century, when Ibn Sina died, until the middle of XIII century, when creative was Ibn al-Nafis, medical science continues to develop and progress, and had its brilliant minds. For that time characteristic is the fact that neither the strong authority as Avicenna was could paralyze the progress of medical science. Three hundred years before Paracelsus, in Cairo appears a medical scientist who dares to touch the authority of Ibn Sina-Avicenna in the infallibility of Canon-"Medical Bible". The scholar was called Alauddin Ibn al-Nafis (1210-1288). He, 250 years ago Servet, (Michael Servetus, XVI century) reveals the truly describes the small or pulmonary circulation, but also gives a description of the great forerunner of the bloodstream. In his separate work on the anatomy, Ibn al-Nafis in five places contested arguments of Galen's teachings, which also Ibn Sina was accepted. He very persuasively argues that the blood does not oxidize ("does not mix with air "), passing through some hypothetical pores in the partition between the right half of the heart, in which blood is collected and left half, in which, supposedly is the air, but that this happen when the blood is going from the right ventricle through the pulmonary artery into the lungs, where it is mixed with air and thus "converted" murmurs through the pulmonary vein into the left half of the heart. On occasion of the 800th anniversary of Ibn al-Nafis birth, one of the largest Arab and world doctors of all times we publish this article so that readers get something closer image his creative work, especially the one which relates to his contribution to the discovery of cardiac and pulmonary circulation, revolutionary discoveries in the world of medicine. In the year 1924 a heated debate started regarding the discovery of the pulmonary circulation. This discovery was attributed only to European scholars. It stemmed back to the sixteenth century. When Michael Servetus (1511-1553), Anderea Vesalius (?1514-1654), Nicolai Massa (1485-1569), Realdo Colombo (1520-1654), Valverde De Hamusco (1508-1565), Andera Cesalpino (1519-1603), Fabrici d'Aquapendent (1533-1619) and William Harvey (1578-1657) developed the concept. However, Muhyi-d-din At-Tatawi (1896-1945) presented his thesis "Der Lungenkreislauf nach El-Korachi. Dissert, z.eil. d. Doktorwrde, Freiburg im Brisgau 1924" of the blood circulation according to al Qurashi relaying on his discovery of his description of pulmonary circulation in one of ancient manuscripts, He proposed that the real credit for the discovery of the pulmonary circulation belongs this eminent physician of the thirteenth century: Ibn al-Nafis. Later another doctor Abdul Kareem Chihade (1922- ) presented another dissertation in Paris 1951 entitled" decouverte de la circulatio pulmonaire chez Ibn an-Nafis". Published by Institut Francais De Damas 1955. Other prominent professors like: Paul Galiounji and Salman Qatayyah researched extensively in his manuscripts and produced very important monographs. The general consensus is that Ibn al-Nafis' work exerted great influence on the development of medical science, both in the Islamic world and Europe. A closer look on Ibn al-Nafis contribution would indicate that he also described the coronary circulation, the cranial nerves the gall bladder anatomy and many new aspect of ophthalmology. He advocated as well therapy through nutrition. His work integrated the medical knowledge with great clarity and emphasized precision.

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Journal ID (nlm-ta): J Res Med Sci

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): J Res Med Sci

Journal ID (publisher-id): JRMS

Title: Journal of Research in Medical Sciences : The Official Journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

Publisher: Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd (India )

ISSN (Print): 1735-1995

ISSN (Electronic): 1735-7136

Publication date (Print): November 2012

Volume: 17

Issue: 11

Pages: 993-1000

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[1]Department of family medicine, Faculty of medicine, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Address for correspondence: Prof. Izet Masic, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Publisher ID: JRMS-17-993

PMC ID: 3702097

PubMed ID: 23833570

SO-VID: c2ea8a72-d288-4b4b-b8b9-2578cc4d719d

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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Thousand-year anniversary of the historical book: “Kitab al-Qanun fit-Tibb”- The Canon of Medicine, written by Abdullah ibn Sina

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Avicenna (980-1037 AD).

Why historians of medicine called Ibn al-Nafis second Avicenna?

On occasion of 800th anniversary of birth of Ibn al-Nafis--discoverer of cardiac and pulmonary circulation.

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