sign in sign up
<<
Home , Justinian I, Physiologus

Veterinary Medicine in ancient , and (B.C. 500 – A.D. 1000)

History of medieval Arab veterinary medicine

(400 - 1200)

Veterinary medicine of the Byzantine Empire Byzantine Empire • Theodosius – In 395 AD divided the Roman Empire – and – Eastern provinces • Wars – constantly for 1000 years – Barbarians – Religious controversies – Decay (fall) of ancient culture • Library was set on fire by Romans • Byzantines tried to save as much as possible

Improvement of . veterinary medicine

• Justinus I. (518 – 527) • Hippodrom – horse races, chariot-races • Cavalry – army on horse – (610 – 640), Leo (886 – 911) • Hunting on horse with dogs – Kennels and diseases of staghounds – Diseases, health, care of gyrfalcon – Demetrios Pepagomenos: Hierakosophion

1 Hagia Famous works • „Geoponica” Church of the Holy – 20-volume work on agricultural topics Wisdom – Animal husbandry and healing • horse, asses, camel, cattle, sheep, goat, rabbit, swine • „Hippiatrica” First in 360 AD, 537 in 5 years – Horse healing masterpiece – Collection from Greece, Babylon and – Writings of 17 authors • Hierocles – foot-and-mouse disease • Absyrtus – first veterinary trainer – School for equine medicine • „Hierakosophion” - Falconry

„Hippiatrica” The metaphysical era of (veterinary) medicine The golden era of medieval Arab medicine Absyrtus During the , the Arab world preserved the knowledge of the Greeks • Very clever practical veterinarian and Romans while lay dormant. – „The ill man can be asked about his complaints, Under Roman Theodosius but the animal is mute!” and Justinianus I. fanatic Christians drove Greek medicals from the – Vet must study on human cases Byzantine Empire to Persia  Greco- Arab medical science: Gundishapur • wrote 121 chapters Al-Ḥārith ibn Kaladah – descriptive knowledge The „heathen” (Christian) medical man – no etiology was researched of the Prophet Mohammed (579-632), born before the advent of Islam. – primitive healing procedures Trust in the medical. Tolerance!

• However great influence for long time… Discussions on medical questions with the Persian ruler

Veterinary medicine of the Byzantine Empire Foreign professors • When Justinian I closed the schools of Athens – seven of their professors fled to Persia and found refuge at Khosrau's court • Under Khosrau I the College of Gundishapur, which had been founded in the 4th century (431) – became „the greatest intellectual center of the time” – drawing students and teachers from every quarter of the world – Nestorian Christians were received there, and brought Syriac translations of Greek works in medicine and philosophy.

2 Head of king Shapur I. who made Gundishapur capital of his empire and founded a school

Roots of Arab medicine started with this school

(Persian rulers were old enemies of )

Library of Gundishapur

• In Persia many libraries were established – by the Zoroastrian elite and the Persian Kings – among the first ones was a royal library in Isfahan

• Library of Gundishapur was one of the most important public libraries established around 667 AD in south-western Iran Hunting scene on a • It was a part of a bigger scientific complex gilded silver bowl located at the of Gundishapur showing king Khosrau I

Arab libraries

• By the 8th century – first Iranians and then Arabs had imported the craft of paper making from China, with a mill already at work in Baghdad in 794. • By the 9th century – completely public libraries started to appear in many Islamic cities – They were called "halls of Science" or dar al-'ilm – They were each endowed by Islamic sects with the purpose of representing their tenets as well as promoting the dissemination of secular knowledge – Abbasid Caliph al-Mutawakkil of Iraq, ordered the construction of a „zawiyat qurra” • literally an enclosure for readers which was „lavishly furnished and equipped”

3 Spread of Islam. language: an appropriate vehicle to merge cultures. Translation of Greek, Babylonian, Hindu, Persian medical literature and the Arab libraries knowledge of the Jewish community in Spain (Umayyad caliphate).

• By the 10th century – In Shiraz Adhud al-Daula (d. 983CE) set up a library, described by the medieval historian, al-Muqaddasi, as a complex of buildings surrounded by gardens with lakes and waterways. The buildings were topped with , and comprised an upper and a lower story with a total, according to the chief official, of 360 rooms.... In each department, catalogues were placed on a shelf... the rooms were furnished with carpets...‘ • The libraries often employed translators and copyists in large numbers – in order to render into Arabic the bulk of the available Persian, Greek and Roman non-fiction and the classics of literature • This flowering of Islamic learning ceased after a few Being aware of the historical significance of the horse and cavalry, Arabs centuries as the Islamic world began to turn against developed an incredible horse cult (+ camels). experimentation and learning Necropsy was forbidden: anatomy and physiology descended. Accepted all • After a few centuries many of these libraries were superstitious-magic elements of the conquered countries (jinns and seitan). destroyed by Mongolian invasion Talismans  Rise of pharmacology: the first pharmacy book (Garbadinat)

Camel

• important domestic animal – not miraculous, historical role Al Borak • Breeding the miraculous – For meat „winged” – For milk: butter and cheese horse – For leather: various articles of Prophet – For fur: cloths, blanket, carpet Mohammed In 638: with Caliph Omar conquers supernatural • Regard dog, swine as unclean Jerusalem and claims talents – BUT Temple Mount for Islam – a good greyhound costs as much Oil (2006) as a saddle camel Mary Evans Picture Library

New books Saluki (Persian) Saluki “Royal dog of Egypt.” • Not only horse healing • To the desert Arabs, they are known as • BUT “El Hor - The Nobel One” - held in very high regard • Healing of - never being sold - rarely given as gifts and – Camels - only to those who were – Sheep and goats deemed truly worthy • In the beginning of the – Donkeys and mules hunt, the greyhound was carried on horse- or – Cattle camelback to maintain its strength for the • Swine & dog was despised impending chase. Sometimes a hawk and a – Exception: greyhound saluki were used together to hunt. Sloughi (Arab): manifestation of nobility

4 Beliefs of the Arabs Solomon’ seal • superstitious – magic elements The legend of the • existence of wondrous signet ring which he received from – jinn (the good spirit, devotee of the Islam) , is common to • live on earth, in air or water in form of animals Judaism, to – saitans (malignant, evil, carriers of diseases) and to Islam • stay in wells, in ruins symbolizes • Spirits were bound to talismans a harmony of opposites – Corresponding talisman prevails over the evil with its help – Marvellous talisman he commanded jinns • Solomon’s seal understood birds & animals

Allah’s favourites Famous names

• (vali, marabut) and wise physicians • Pharmacologists (hakim) • Medical doctors – able to ward off bewitching and wizards – Rhazes – Baraqa – Avicenna • „Everything that is true blessing of healing power according to faith may be false according to reason” • Tolbas and iqqahs – Averrhoes – meaning of Holy Script – have supernatural power • Interpreters (translations) – magic beings • Veterinarians (parallel) First the Arab science was focusing • rukh bird and magic steed – Geber on the explanation of Koran

Jabir ibn Hayyan (Geber) (699-765) Rhazes (or al-Razi) (ca. 860 - ca. 930 AD)

Born in Persia, he studied in Baghdad, Greek origin, became follower of Islam later Palestine, Egypt and Spain. (philosophy, taught at the school in Sevilla, wrote several books languages, music – later medicine) Chemistry and pharmacy as a science was created by the Moslems: Later he taught and directed hospitals in • precise observation his home town, Ray, Persia, and in • controlled experiment Baghdad, where he became court physician. Medical advisor of the Caliph • careful records False doctrines Wrote 237 books on pharmacology, toxicology, pathology, dietetic, • Because he added some mystic speculation surgical and other problems. • The properties of known metals can be He was the first to distinguish and describe smallpox and measles. changed by mediators – called medicines dissected animals (monkeys) – surmounted the rules of the Koran Methods of evaporation, sublimation, melting and crystallization. His 20-volume comprehensive book, entitled El Hawi contains a Several words and phrases: complete summary of the Greek, Indian and Arab medical science. alcohol, alkali, elixir, salmiac, syrup etc. establishes a hospital Later used in alchemy – which he founded „Arab Galen” - his fame was surpassed by Avicenna’s glory. (transmutation of base metals into gold)

5 Hassan ibn Sina / Avicenna! (980-1037) Averrhoes (1126-1198) Persian physician of Tajik origin, worked mainly in Isfahan. Based on Rhazes works, he synthesized the Hippocratic and Galenic traditions of medicine • the great wise of Cordova in the 12th century His great work al Qanun fi Tibb (Canon Of – Averrhoism Medicine) was translated into Hebrew, then to towards the end of the twelfth century and became – Double truth a reference source for medical of He knew the Koran by heart • religious and scientific are independent of each other Europe until the end of the 17th century. – dissolved the contradiction between faith and „Healing should be based on observation and experience, not on disputing speculation.” experience The importance of active intervention, contrary – Explanation for the differences between to expectation of natural healing. theoretical teachings and practical experiences He describes in alphabetic order 811 simple medicines of plant, animal and mineral • MAIMONIDES (1138 – 1204) origin. (also list of poisons and antidotes) – Poisonings (saliva of the rabid dog) Treat the whole body – soul and body can’t be separated! – experiment with lamb and wolf – Studied tuberculosis (necropsied animals)

Hippiatry

• Horse cult – splendid age (5th -12th century) Further development was • Mohammed ibn Jakab – book in 695 • Honein ibn Ishaq (809 – 877) hindered with the plague – Johannitius (in the Christian world) – first handbook on ophthalmology

• Raised the rank of medical sciences • Survived after the Arab empire collapsed – Fundamental for animal healing in and Spain

The rapid development of Arab hippiatry is due to: the great role of the horse during the Islam conquest; Experts in horse the rapid development of theoretical medical sciences and painting the high level of administration of medicines and preparation of instruments. Coloring the white Arabs had horse hospitals in which ‘baytars’ (stablemen) treated sick horse black horses. Baytars were experts on breeding, riding, raising of foals and horse-training as well and belonged to the headquarters as the military with mixture of physicians. henna and indigo Main merit: accepted and applied the practical teaching of former medical men; separated hippiatry from agricultural practice.

In the therapy purgatives, washes, blood letting, burns and administration of various medicines predominated.

6 Arab medicines

• Body fluids – Blood from pigeon and fox – Urine, bile, saliva, bone marrow • Food – Butter, egg yolk, meat, fat, honey • Animals – Fly, baked frog, stag-horn • Chemicals – Asphalt, borax, ash, lime, gypsum, ammonia, sulphur, silver oxide

Procedures

• Cataract operations were performed • Abscesses were opened • Osteal growth’ were resected • Teeth were extracted – Also polished to correct irregular abrasions • Bandages were used • Sutures were made, hammocks were used • Tracheotomy (by Avenzoar – itch mite!) • Blood letting – Veins (jugular, facial, hock or elbow) by lancer

7 Strangles Known diseases in Kital al Akual Streptococcus equi subsp.equi • Horse, camel and elephant – Studied colic diseases and diarrhea – Anthrax • Route of infection: – rabies – transmitted by bite! – dourine – transmitted by coitus! • Grouping according to the body regions – Diseases of eyes, nose, teeth – Diseases of head, neck, back, extremities • Contagious diseases – Plague, malleus, equine ulcerative lymphadenitis (kould) • treated with burning of the affected regions

Dourine exanthema coitale paralyticum, polyneuritis infectiosa

• chronic trypanosomal disease of Equidae – Trypanosoma equiperdum • causes high mortality of horses • the disease is transmitted almost exclusively by coitus • it is characterized by specific lesions: – edema of the genitalia – nervous system involvement Ulcerative lymphadenitis – progressive emaciation

Trypanosoma equiperdum from horse Characteristics of Arab medicine

• Lack of uniform nosological aspects • Diseases considered – species-specific – therefore different species treated separately

• Therapy was preferred – To prevention

• and alchemy dominated

8 Arab proverb:

Rational-empiric Scientific „a good falcon, healing reasoning Intuitive, naive- a fast greyhound, empiric, superstitious- Metaphysical or a noble horse magic healing healing is more precious than twenty women” Ancient , , Medieval Arab, Mesopotamia, Greece, Christian Middle China, Egypt Alexandria Ages

Medieval ages: feudalism (no slaves!) The metaphysical era of veterinary medicine

Constantin the Great made Christianity the only The medieval religious healing legitimate religion  Christian Church became a parallel power Feudalism: agriculture Church  control of the power of the leaders (kings, : disease is the punishment emperors), who previously were gods or of God, healing means remission. Faith is superior to reason. („Fides precidit descendants of gods. (Compared to the ancient rationem.” = faith precedes reason) times advantage from the point of view of the Resurrection: autopsy prohibited society) Miracles: St. Francis of Assisi talks to the animals, tames the wolf of Gubbio by praying Church: monopoly of knowledge, no difference etc. between science and religion, control and monopoly of knowledge and education (disadvantage)

Patron saints Physiologus: mythic and symbolic animals form the Bible, fabulous creatures (, basilisk, )  Harry Potter books. ( name days)

St. Roch: dogs Living in a forest he was fed and cured by a dog. St. Anthony: pigs Monasteries, hermitages and priests replaced hospitals (asclepieions) and St. Giles: veterinarians. He spent many years in medicals (asclepiadians). solitude, his sole companion being a , finally discovered by the king's hunters, who had pursued the Growing population, concentration of hind to its place of refuge. An arrow shot at the deer people and livestock  contagious wounded the instead, who afterwards became a diseases, epidemies, epizootics patron of veterinarians and cripples. Someone had to be blamed  Therapy and prevention of epidemics: praying, Pogroms (manhunt), harassment of heretics, incantation, masses. which-hunts

9 Constant wars due to the The Great Invasion of Nations, the expansion of Hippiatry in the age of chivalry the Empire of Caliphs, the Crusades enhanced the development of cavalry.

• 1., Celts • 2., , Germans • 3., Balts • 4., Hungarians The horse became the main mean • 5., of transport in war • 6., , Mongols well trained horses were of great value Horse breeding, horse shoeing, 6 treating of wounds were basic knowledge for a knight. 5

Giordano Rufo: De Medicina Equorum (1250): empiric: removal of arrows, wound healing, stopping of bleedings Malleus (glanders) (ligation!). Malleus (farcy) was the most frequent disease of horses (ulcers in humans). • Causative agent: Burkholderia (Psedomonas) mallei • Sensitivity: equidae, carnivores, large cats, humans • Infection: airborn (droplet), conjunctiva, per os (rarely transcutaneous)  bacteraemia • Lesions: nodules (granulomas) exudative or proliferative predominantly exudative predominantly proliferative

Acute disease: • development of rapidly spreading ulcers in skin and nasal mucosa • death within a few days from septicaemia Chronic disease: more common • signs depend on where lesions are located • pulmonary involvement always occurs • nasal and/or skin form may be concurrent • if pulmonary form dominates animals will cough and show epistaxis

10 Lymphadenitis and lymphangitis that has ulcerated to the skin. This sign in glanders is sometimes referred to as "farcy".

Astrology, astral theories: foretelling and explaining epidemics, epizooties, timing of treatments  indicated and decided by Holy inquisition the movements and constellations (aspects) of planets. Geocentric view: • anyone who did not fit within the contemporary view influence of celestial (heavenly) bodies. of pious Christians were suspect, and easily branded "Witch". Usually to devastating effect. Alchemic principles: Paracelsus (1493- 1541) • nearly all of the accused were women, and „Sola dosis facit venenum!” consisted primarily of outcasts and other suspicious Theophrastus Phillipus Auroleus persons Search for the „great elixir” and for the Bombastus von Hohenheim „Philosopher’s Stone” – Old women, Midwives, , Poets, Gypsies Superstition and quackery • 9.000.000 people over 250 years

Witches, wizards and sorcerers: causing • Witchcraft was not the only crime of which one illnesses by oaths  witchcraft trials, could be accused during the Inquisition. By exorcisms. questioning any part of Catholic belief, one could be The Holy Inquisition (tortures, executions) branded a heretic.

11