About Ibn Sina

 

1.  Preamble

 

It is known to many of us that the Muslims were the leaders and pioneers of modern science of different branches including medical science. Many famous Muslim medical scientists were born in Arabia, Persia and Middle Asia. Their contributions to medical science is so vast that they are called as the as torch bearer of modern Medical Science.

 

Among all of them, two prominent doctors are so much popular around the world for all time. They are Jakariya Abu Bakr al Raji and Ibn Sina. Ibn Sina was a great Physician and he had played a vital role in medical science. So that’s why he is known as Father of Medical Science. Galen is known as the first teacher of medical science and Ibn Sina is known as the second teacher of medical science.  An English prominent author named Sarton says,

 

Ibn Sina was the greatest Physician of his time and greatest scientist for all of time. 

 

2.   Who was Ibn Sina

 

Introduction

 

Ibn Sina was a renowned Muslim scholar. His full name was AbU Al-Hussain Ibn Abdulla Ibn Hassan Ibn Ali Ibn Sina. His father, Abdullah, was a respected Ismaili scholar from Balkh, an important town of the Samanid Empire. The name of his mother is Sitara.

 

Birth

 

Avicenna was born c. 980 in Afshana, near Bukhara, the capital of Samanids, a Persian dynasty in Central Asia and Greater Khorasan when his father was the Governor of that state.  But some historian says that he was born in Transoxiana, a province of Bukhara.

 

Childhood and Education

 

He had been a brilliant student since his childhood. He had become he Hafiz of Quran when he was only 10 years old. Then he met with a lot of scholars to acquire knowledge in different subjects. He was keen interested to acquire knowledge in Chemistry and Medical Science.

 

 

 

 

 

Teachers

 

He studied under some greatest teachers like Ismail Sufi for Fiqh, Muhammad Massale for mathematics and Abdullah Natili for philosophy and ethics. He had been so benefitted from Abdullah Natili. Because he taught him geometry, Ptolemy’s majest, porfiri, Isaguzi etc.

 

Activities

 

He had completed his educational life at the age of 16. Then he started getting his medical occupation at the age of 18. He had become a popular physician in his area within a short time. Many patients from away came to him for treatment. Many doctors from away met with him for consultancy.

 

Fame

 

 His fame had been spread to the Amir of Bokhara. In this time he had been succeeded to heal the illness of Amir where many prominent scholars were failure to treat him properly. Therefore he was appointed as the court Physician of Bukhara. He also got the chair of library of that time which library was fully of many books of Abbasid.  

 

His biography before death

 

His father had died when he was only 22 years. Sultan Mahmud captured Bukhara from Samanid Empire in 1004. Then Ibn Sina went to Khawarijm for six years. He was getting involved with research on medical science for this time. Then he escaped from Khawarijm to Kabus to Rai when both Dynasties were fallen by Sultan Mahmud. He knew it that religious fundamentalist like Sultan Mahmud would kill him because of his religious belief. He always hid himself from this brutal Sultan. Then he hid himself at Dehsthan. Then he came to Raiyan which area had been ruled by Buiyad Emperors. Then he treated the ill Sultan named Fakhr Ud-Dawla and Shams-Ud-Dawla. Then he was appointed as the cousrt physician of that place. In 1030 , sultan Masud attacked in Ispahan. Then he escaped himself from that place. But suddenly he was ill by suffering . His servant mistreated him. As a result he was died in 1037 at the at the age of 57 years old.

 

3.   His contribution to Medical Science

 

Ibn Sina had made a great contribution in the field of medical science. He started to write books on medical science and others when he was only 21 years old. Some of these are given bellow:

 

 

 

1.  Qanun Fit Tibb

 

The Canon of Medicine is an encyclopedia of Galenic medicine in five books compiled byIbn Sīnā (Avicenna) and completed in 1025. It presents a clear and organized summary of all the medical knowledge of the time.Originally written in Arabic language, the book was later translated into a number of other languages, including Latin, Chinese, Hebrew, German,French, and English. The Canon is considered one of the most famous books in the history of medicine.

 

◾Doctor Oslar says, It is regarded as a bible of medicine.

◾Ø It can be called the encyclopedia of medical science.

◾Ø It is divided into some parts, such are:

1st part

 

1st part of this book is deals with –

 

◾General discussion dealing with medicine

◾Ø The sickness of whole body

◾Ø Symptomatology

◾Ø Actiology

◾Ø Pharmacology

◾Ø Therapeutics

◾Ø Etiology

 

 

2nd Part

 

2nd part is concerned on Material Medica pharmacology of herbs. He deals here

 

◾Ø The different kinds of herbs

◾Ø Herbs growth

◾Ø This strength of effect

◾Ø The preparation of medicine

 

 

3rd Part

 

In the 3rd part Ibn Sina talked about pathology such as

 

◾Ø Symptom

◾Ø Diagnosis

◾Ø Prognosis

◾Ø Treatment of diseases of different part of the body like heart etc.

4th Part

 

  The fourth part consists of four chapters dealing with illness which involved the whole body. In 4th part he described the diseased of human body as follows

 

1.Various types of fever, causes and their treatment.

2.Ulcer leprosy facilities boils etc including minor opsotium poisions of vegetable, animal and minerals this treatment.

 

 

     5th part

 

     This part deals with the prescription of

 

◾The pills

◾Powder

◾Syrup

◾Injections

◾Their dares and methods of preparations

2.   Surgery

 

Ibn Sina was physician not a surgeon. But je showed his greatness in this field also:

 

Like

 

◾He parformed some operations.

◾He used forceps in operation.

◾Deformation of spiral  and he invented some method of operation.

3.   Jaundice

 

Ibn Sina classified the jaundice in three categories which is still acceptable. These are –

 

◾Obstructive

◾Hemolytic

◾Toxic

4.   Eye

 

Ibn Sina described regarding eye with the physiology and anatomy of eye. He deals with-

 

◾The six motor muscle of eyeball

◾The theory of vision

◾The papillary reflex etc.

5.   Theory of Brain localization

 

He was the first who deal with the theory of Brain localization. He thought that the external sense like hearing, touch, taste, smile etc. are concentrated in brain. 

 

1.6.    Psycho Therapy

Ibn Sina was regarded as the father of psycho therapy. He used this formula about 900 years ago before Freud. His own comment about healthy body and mind are that “The body to be in a healthy state must have the heart,warm the nerves cold and the bones dry.”

 

1.7.          Psycho Somatic treatment

Ibn Sina was first who produced the Psycho somatic treatment. He prescribed a young man could not express his say what he desires with love and talking by him and feeling the pulse. He treated a young man in love who could not express his desire by talking with him and feeling his pulse.  

 

s two types of poppy, henbane, hemlock, leave, ice etc are  also belong to analgesic.

 

Haqim Abdul Latif says, “Avicennas researches on Heart drugs are most original and I believe are still capable of revolutionizing our ideas on Heart Theray”.

 

1.8.          Mental diseases

Ibn Sina treated the reason of mental diseases. He divided this type of mental disorder into two groups-

 

◾Elementary

◾Serious- menia, fibu miondness etc 

1.9.         Diagnosis

Ibn Sina gave stress on diagnosis for this he used the urine and pulse. He could diagnosis a disease by 19 kinds of pain.

 

10.  Urinocology

 

Ibn Sina gave a brief description on urincology. He said that for testing urine it must be collected fresh in the morning.

 

He also said that in this matter everyone should observe the odor, thickness, smell, color, sediment of urine.

 

11.  Others

 

There are many things related to medical science invented by Ibn Sina. Some of these are:

 

◾Ø He describes – ◾Brain tumor

◾Peptic ulcer

◾Diseases of lungs and stomach

◾Ø He was the father and founder of Muslim micro-biology

◾Ø He described the disease of ear and eyes Kerry minutely etc.

 

1.Works on Medical Science

According to the profile writer Ibn Sina was the author of at least 180 books and treaties. He wrote 15 books about medical science.  But most of hus books are lost. A few are collected from various places. On medical Science the most important books(including Qanun Fit Tibb) written by him are given below:

 

1.Kitab as Shifa (18 Volumes)

2.Al Adiyyah al Qulbi

3.Tadaruk al Anwa 

4.Kitabul  hasil wal mahmel

5.Kitabul barre wal isme

 

Conclusion

Ibn Sina, a great Muslim scientist, was regarded as the father of Muslim medicine and medical science. His contribution to the medical science is very vast. He touches every field of medicine. Specially, his works on pharmacology is very important and still capable of   in this world.