Medieval Islamic Medicine

The authors weave a story about the medieval world (600-1500CE) and medieval medicine and bring their own research with the publications of other scholars. The story takes the reader on a journey to the medieval centers of Islamic knowledge: Cairo, Alexandria, Damascus and Baghdad. The major cultures and religions, Moslems, Christians and Jews, ebb and flow across time and political boundaries. The two principal themes are the transmission and elaboration of the ancient medical texts of Galen and Hippocrates and their translation from Greek into Arabic, Hebrew and Latin. As Europe emerged from the Dark Ages, its physicians drew upon this reservoir of medical observations as they developed their own empiricism.

This comprehensive book will be of great interest to readers who are new to the subject as well as those who wish to enhance their knowledge. The few illustrations are well chosen.

I had always a special interest for history of medicine but I was missing a clear comprehensive review of islamic medicine. Not any more. Well written, excellent documentation, not too much but enough.
Thanks.

I read this book because even though a lay person, I have a great deal of interest in medicine and medical history as well as theology and philosophy, I'm working on learning and understanding more about Islam, and I am an old friend of one of the authors, Prof. Savage-Smith.

This book is fascinating in terms of the methodology used by the authors to learn about and come to conclusions about this history, including a tracing of roots, as well as the methods used in medieval times for medical practices. Lots of details and yet lots of main themes to give perspective. Even though very specialized, I think it is quite interesting.