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Home , Hunayn ibn Ishaq, Ibn Juljul

Bull. Ind. Inst. Hist Med. Vol. XXII pp. 23 to 34

ROOTS OF ANDALUSIAN ISLAMIC MEDICINE IN THE EUROPEAN CIVILISATION

SAMIR YAHIA El·GAMMAl'!:

ABSTRACT

In the 11th century B.C., the Phoenicians set foot on the Eastern coast of the Iberian peninsula and established several colonies such as Oadiz and Tar tusa, follcwed by Greeks in the 6th century B.C .• then by the Carthagenians in the 3rd century B.C , then by the Romans a century later. Thus a mixture of all these civilisations was Originated. In the 5th century A.D., was invaded by the 1st Germanic wave. followed by the Eastern Goths who ruled till the Islamic conquest in 711 A.D. A new Islamic Caliphate was formed (when the Omayad Prince Abdul Rahman fled to in 755 A.D.), with Cordova as its capital. The golden era of Islamic Andalusia be qan under the rule of Caliph Abdul Rahman III \912-961 A.D.), where rnanv cultural centres were established s peciallv in Granada, Cordova, Seville. Toledo etc., which attracted the attention of the European scientists, who came to learn more about t .,ese advanced sciences, and consequently translated all the Islamic sciences including medicine, pharmacy etc. int o Latin. The most famous pioneer in tr ans lation was Gerard of Cr emon a (of Italian origin), followed by many others, thus all the Is'amic sciences h "ped the Europeans to find their way out from the dark days of the Medieval ages towa.ds the Renaissance era.

The of the 10th and 11th Europe heard about the Arabs' great centuries emancipated their scientific development in sciences specially in efforts from dependency on foreign medicine, pharmacy, geography, che- research. Their golden age of scien- mistry, mathematics ... etc.. along whole ces and literature found its way into of the Islamic Empire from the Indian Europe as early as the 11th century bordo to the Atlantic ocean. Many AD., mainly through Spain (Andalu- Europeans joined its scientific centres, sia), Palermo (Sicily), Salerno (Italy), so as tJ learn as much 6sp':Jssible and the Crusade wars. about these sciences, and hence The Latin-speaking people of became devoted disciples to the

~Phaima~:st. Researcher "1 the History of Madic.ne & Pb arrnacv , P.O. Box 136 Maadi, Cairo. EgYPt. 24 Bull. Ind. tnst . Hl st. Med. Vol. XXII famous Moslem professors in every localised renaissance movement in the field. 9th century A.D., when Alusen (735- 804 A.D.) and his pupil Mores (775- In Sicily, the effect of the Arab- 856 A.D.) tried to translate some of Islamic sciences was bigger and grea- the Greek books into Latin but were ter, but intermittent and distorted, not very successful. whereas in Salerno and Andalusia, the effect was stronger and most Also the Italian states tried during beneficial. the 10th century A.D. to send a num- ber of scientific expeditions to Cons- During the medieval ages in tantinople so as to obtain some of the Europe, the people felt great hunger Greek scientific manuscripts for the to knowledge and sciences, but were purpose of translating them into not satisfied with the books which Latin, but failed out. were in possession of the monks, and so were forced to direct their atten So, all the Arab-Islamic sciences tion to the Arab books and their trans- were destined to reach Europe only lations of the Greek scientific heritage. after few centuries through the Cru- sades, Salerno, Palermo and Anda Although these Greek books were lusia. All these channels were pou preserved in the European monasterial ring in the European cities of the nor- libraries, yet the monks were not thern west of the Rhine river, thus the aware of its value due to their igno- Renaissance schools were established rance of the Greek language, and also in Germany, Switzerland, France, due to the deserted location of some England, Holland ... etc. of these monasteries and difficulty to reach them by many scholars. An Concerning Andalusia, the Spa example of this difficulty, was the nish civilisation goes back far into the famous book on Astronomy "Magiste" stone age. Then the Phoenicians which was written by the famous Ale- arrived crossing the strait of Gibraltar xandrian astronomer Ptolemy (3rd cen- and establised many coastal colonies tury B.C.), and was known to the such as Qadiz and Tartus during the Arabs by the name "AI-Magiste". 11th century B. C. The ancient This valuable book was available in Greeks, also a famous sea-faring several copies in the Europian monas- nation like the Phoenicians formed teriallibraries, but was not recognised many colonies in Spain in the 6th cen- or identified except from its tury B.C., then the Carthagenians . settled later in the 4th century B.C. on the eastern coast of Spain and The German states witnessed a along the Balearic islands. Later on, Roots of Andetusien tstemic Medicine=-Semir Yahia £I-Gammal 25 most of the Iberian peninsula and the Andalusia (after his escape from the Balearic isles were occupied by Hamil- massacre of the Omayads by the car, king of the Carthaqenians in the Abbasids in Damascus), and founded 3rd century B.C. But after the defeat an independent Arab Caliphate in of their king Hanibal in the 3rd Punic Spain. Cordova was chosen as the War by the rising Roman Empire, the capital of the new Islamic Caliphate, Carthaqenians were driven out in 133 and its golden age was during the B.C. and so Spain became a Roman reign of Abdul Rahman III (912-· colony. 961 A.D.).

Many Roman scientists, philoso- At the begining of the 11th cen- phers, historians were reported to have tury A.D., the Omayad dynasty in migrated to Spain, chief among them Andalusia broke up into 27 petty were Seneca and Quinelian. independent states. Due to the re-conquest of the Christians under In 409 A.D., the first wave of Ger- the leadership of king Alphonso IV, manic invasion took place followed the Islamic Andalusian kings dernan- by the first West Gothic wave. ded the help of the Morabitin kings of north Africa. but were defeated. Then the Arabs, who in 711 A.D., Again, in 1176 A.D., the Mowahhadin under the leadership of Tareq ibn came to help in the Andalusian wars, Zeyad crossed the strait of Gibraltar but were also defeated. King Alp- and defeated king Fredrick the last of honso VIII in 1212 A.D. could drive the western Goths and captured Cor- the Moslems out of most of Spain dova. The commandor Mousa ibn with the exception of the strong king- Nosaer joined Tareq in 712 A.D. and dom of Granada, but at last in 1492 both completed the occupation of A.D., it surrendered to the united Southern Spain. During the next few forces of Ferdinand and Isabella, and years, the whole of the Iberian penin- so Spain returned once more to the sula became under Islamic rule, with hands of the Christians. the exception of Austurias and Bas- ques where the Christians gathered In Andalusia, there occured the and kept preparing for the re-conquest biggest and most important centre for of Spain. The Arabs crossed the contacts between the Arab Islamic Pyrenees mountains but were defea- sciences and the European ideas, ted in the battle of Tour-Poitiers in covering a period of about eight 732 A.D. by Charles Martel. centuries (from711-1492A.D.). The most famous Islamic cities in which In 755 A.D., the Omayad prince Arabic sciences prospered greatly Abdul Rahman Al-Ornawv reached were Cordova, Seville and Granada, 25 Bull. Ind. tnst, Hist. Med. Vol. XXII and to a lesser extent Toledo and hardly a boy or a girl who could not Castille. There, the strongest inter- read or write. mingle between the Spanish and Islamic cultures was fortified by the Such civilisation could not fail to every-day life of both populations and produce famous physicians and philo- also due to the great efforts of the sophers comparable to those of the Ornavad Caliphs and the Tawaef Orient. Rhazes, Haly Abbas, kings, which helped the Christians, ...etc. had compares in Abulcasis, Jews and Moslems to participate Avenzoar, ... etc. together in acqainting the Latins with the Arab- Uamic culture. Islamic medicine came to a stand still about 1250 A.D., when super- Andalusia during the Islamic rule, stitior.s crept in. fl aurished in agriculture, mineralogy, commerce, industry as well as in Of the leading Islamic physicians medicine, pharmacy ... etc. also the and philosophers of Andalusia were: cities of Cordova, Seville, Granada, 1. lbn Wafid (997-1074A.D.), known Toledo ... etc. became very prosperous to the Latins as Abenguefit. He was in economy as well as in culture, born in Toledo, wrote a treatise which learning, art ..etc. (one can still detect was translated into Latin entitled lslarnic culture in the present popula- "De Medicamentis Sirnplicibus." tion speciallv in Granada). 2. lbn Maimun (Mousa Ibn Imran) During the reign of the Andalu- (11351204 A.D.), known to the sian Caliphs Abdul Rahman III, AI- Latins as . He was born Hakam and AI-Mansour (from 912- in southern Spain and spent most of 1002 A. D ), the city of Cordova (or his life in Cairo, serving the Egyptian Carta- Tuba as was called by the king Saladin and his sons. He was Phoenicians) contained not less than a physician and a philosopher and 200,000 houses, one million inhabi- had advanced ideas on hygiene. tants, 600 inns, 900 baths, 600 mos- ques with preparatory schools attached 3. (Abdel Malek ibn Abi to them, 17 universities, 70 public AI-Alaa), (1091-1162A.D.); known libraries ... etc. to the Latins as Avenzoar. He was born and died in Seville, studied The famous library of the Caliph medicine under his father and became AlHakarn took second place after the teacher of Ibn Rushd (Averroes) Alexandria, only contained 225,000 and his great friend afterwards. Ibn volumes in comparison to 400,000 Zuhr's family produced six generations volumes in Alexandria. There was of physicians in direct descent. He Roots of Andalusian Islamic Medicine=Semir Yahia EI-Gammal 27 served in the court of AI Mowahhadin Avenzoar called him "the greatest rulers. Being a pronounced physician, physician after ", and many he disdained surgery and surgeons. scientists were deeply affected by His chief work was "Al-Taysir fil him, such as Ibn Bajjah. Modawah wal Tadbir" (facilitation of treatment) was based on his personal 5. AlZahrawv (Abut Oasern Khalaf). experience (since his was (936-1013 AD.), known to the Latins centered round" ... experience is the as Abulcasis, was born at Zahraa best guide"), in which he discussed near Cordova. His famous book bone feeling and the itchmite. This "AI- Tasrif" on surgery comprised book was translated into Latin by 30 sections and translated several Paravicius in 1280 AD., and again times into many languages and was in 1490 AD. causing a great influence the main text book in Europe till the on European medicine till the end of 16th century. He was considered as the 17th century AD. the most distinguished surgeon in . 4. Ibn Rushd (Abul Walid Mohammed), (1126-1198 A.D.); He was born in 6. Ibn AI Khateeb (Lesan AI-Din). Cordova and obtained both religious (1313-1374AD.); He was born in and scientific education, became Granada, recoqnised as a great histo famous as an Aristotelian professor rian physician and politician. He desc- since he highly evaluated 's ribed the Plague (the black death) in works and commented upon them a special treatise" ... the existence of in his books. His famous text "AI- contargon is established by experience, Kulliat fil Tib" (General rules on study and evidence of the senses by medicine) that medical encyclopaedia trustworthy reports on transmission which was translated into Latin under by garments, vessels, ear- rings or by the name "Colliqet " in which he persons from the house, or from an recognised the function of the retina infected person, or by infection of a and immunity after small-pox infection. healthy sea-port. or by the immunity This book was highly esteemed in the of isolated individuals and nomadic- medieval ages and was a rival to his bedowin tribes of Africa". contemporary Avenzoar's AI- Taysir. Ibn Rushd, known to the Latins as Aver- 7. Ibn Khaterna (Ahmad ibn Ali); He roes was the most illustrious member was a physician in Almeria and wrote a book on Plague in 1348 A.D., in of his great medical family and the which he stated that..." '" if the first most celebrated physicia n, philosopher patient expectorated blood or deve- and philologist Hispano-Arabic perso- loped puboes, then the second will nality, to the extent that his teacher do so ...", He died in 1368 AD. 28 Bull. Ind. tnst. Hist. Med, Vol. XXII

8. Ibn Bajjah (Abu Bakr Mohammad The Europeans heard a lot about ibn Yahya Al-Sarqostv) (1065-1138 the great Arabic sciences through the A.D.), born in Saraqoss a. He tra- of their books into Latin velled to Seville. Granada, Fez... etc., which was done by the famous legen- and was excelled in ph/sics; medicine, dary translator "Constantinus Afri-· mathematics, astrology •••etc. He was canus" (10201087,A.D.), who was known to the Latins as . born in Carthage (in North Africa). Although he was not very talented in 9. AI-Ghafiqi (Abu Gaafar Ahmad Arabic and his Latin was very mode- ibn Al-Savved), (1165-1233 A.D.). rate and with a very limited idea about born in AI-Ghafiq near Cordova. He medicine and other sciences, yet was a famous botanist, travelled to during his long stay in Monte-Cassino north Africa, Middle East and wrote monastery in Salerno, Italy, he man- his famous book "AI-Adwiya AI- aged to translate and supervise on the Mufradah", which was later quoted translation of many Arabic books almost entirely by ibn Al-Bavtar. with the help of a group of translators 10. lbn AI Baytar (Abu Mohammad who knew Arabic, Hebrew and Latin Abdullah ibn Ahmad); died in 1248 far better than him. Of the famous A.D. He was born in Malaga, and books he translated were AI--Kitab became renowned botanist and Al-Malaki or Kamel AI-Sinaa by AI· wrote his famous book" AI Gamae Li- Majusi (Haly Abbas). which he called Mufradat AI-Adwiyu wal Aghdhiyah" Liber Constantini (later, a better trans- (Collection of simple drugs). in which lation was made by Stephan of Anti- he described more than 1400 medici- och in 1147 A. D. and was called nal drugs and is indeed an extraordi- Liber Regius). Also "Maqala fil nary work, and was very appreciated Malankhulia" by Ishaq ibn Imran for over 500 years in most of the (called "Liber Constantini de Malar,- European schools. cholia"), "Ris ala fil Nisyan wal lIag" by ibn Al-clazz ar (called "Liber de 11. (Solayman ibn Hassan); Oblivio ne"}, also "Viaticum pere Gri- born in 945 A.D. in Cordova. He naris". again written by ibn AI-·Jazzar, served in the court of the king Hisham "Kitab Zad Al-Musafir" (a sketch on AI-Moayyed Billah. His famous book general medicine). several writings by "Tabaqat AI--Olamaa wal Falasitah" Ishaq ibn Solayman AI-Israili (known (Grades of physicians and philoso- as Issac J udaeus), several Arabic tran s- phers) was the main source from lations of Hippocrates works such as which AI-Oufti and ibn Abi Usaibea "Aphorisms", "Prog nostica", "0 iacta obtained their references and know- Acutorurn", and many books of Galen. ledge. He wrote two books on Also "the ten treatises on the eye" medicaments also. by Hunayn ibn lshaq (called Oculis ) , Roots of Andalusian Islamic MedicineSi'mi, Yahia EI-Gammal 29

"Liber Experimentorum" by Rhazis the Arabic medical and scientific on cherni stry. books into Latin. He founded under the direction of Archedeacon Domi- Struggle between Christendom nico Gundisalvi a school of translation and Islam began in Spain and Sicily. in Toledo which flourished till the Toledo fell in 1085 and as it was 13th century A. D. famous of being the greatest Moslem learning and cultural centre, many The English mathematician and European students came to study philosopher "Adelard of Path" came Arabian medicine and became later to Toledo in 1100 A.D., and the Spa- on famous physicians and translators nish Jew Petrus Alphonsi (later con- of many books on medicine into Latin. verted to Christianity), both trans- Of these were "Adel ard of Path", lated many medical books from Ara- "Petrus Alphonsi", "Gerard of Cre- bic into Latin and helped in the moria". "Michael Scot" and many spread of the Islamic sciences into others, including "Dornenicus Gun- England for the first time. dissalinus" (also known as Domingo Gonzalez) and" Joannes Hispalensis". Also the converted Jew "Ibn Dawud" (Avendeath) translated a Many ot the monastery monks in great number of Islamic books in diffe- Andalusia began to translate many of rent sciences into Latin. the Islamic sciences into Latin starting from the 1Orh century A D., speciallv Also "Ruffino", a scholar of Ale- in Rebal and Barcelona monasteries. ssandria, Italy came and lived in Mur- Most famous of them was "Tibertinus cia, Spain and tranlated into Latin the de Tivoli" (of Italian origin), worked famous book of Hunayn in Barcelona and was often known as "Questiones Medicae". 'the Platonic" owing to his great One of the most important trans- interest in the works of the Greek phi- lators at that time was "Gerard of losopher . He translated many Cromona" (1114-1187 A.D.). He books on medicine and astronomy was born and died in Cremona in Lom- into Latin. bardia, Italy. He came to study in The intermediaries for the trans Toledo and later became an important lation and learning were the Mozarabs member of its college of translators. (a mixure of Spanish Arabs and Jews In 1160 A.D., he was appointed the who adopted both Arabic and Jewish Bishop of Toledo and translated-more customs) . than 92 books into Latin, such as the original works in Greek of Aristotoies. In 1100 A.D., the Bishop "Ray Hippocrates, Galen •••etc. He also mond of Toledo" translated some of translated the" Almageste" of Pto-- 30 Bull. Ind. Inst. Hrsr, Med. Vol. XXiI

lemy, "De lntellectu". "De Quinque anitv. The first translated the Arabic Essentiis" of AI-Kindi, "De Crepus- scientific and medical texts into Cas-- culls" of At-Hazen. the "De Motu tellano, while the latter translated it Accessionis et Recessionis" of Thabit, into Latin. (the Castellano language the "Algebra" by AI--Khawarizmi, of Andalusia was at its beginning of "Al-Oanun" by Avicenna (retrans- development and used by the Chris- lated in 1515 AD. by Andrea Alpaqo) , tian Iberians specially in Castille). "Al-Tasrif " by Al-Zahrawi (remained the basic text, on Surgery in Europe Also "Yohanna of Toledo" was till the 16th century AD.). and many busy in Latinisation of the Arabic other books. Gerard of Cremona is texts, so did the famous physician regarded &S the real father of Ara- "Hispanis of Seville" who, before bism in Europe. becoming the Pope Giovanni XI, trans- lated some Arabic books into Latin. "Mark of Toledo" also translated many Arabic works on medicine such The French priest "Gerber!" v.si- as Hippocrates' "On airs, water and ted Andalusia in 980 AD., joined the places". Rebol monastery of Catalonia and was very interested in Islamic medical "Abraham of Tortosa" and sciences and translated some of them "Simon of Genoa" translated Abut- into Latin before he was elected as casis "AI Tasrif" into Latin. Pope Sylvester II in 999 AD ..

Another famous translator was The English priest "Robert of the Jew "Abraham ibn Dawud" (died Chester" visited Andalusia from 1141 1180 A.D.), lived in Cordova and to 1147 A D. and translated the Holy translated many of Avicenna's works, Quran into Latin and many other whom he admired greatly. When Arabic books on physics, medicine, Toledo fell into the hands of the Chris- mathematics •.. etc. tians, Abraham fled from Cordova to Toledo, but was killed owing to his The ex-Kino "Alphonso the wise" refusal to revert into Christian itv. (Alphonso X, king of Castille) after his forcebly abdication from the throne The translation movement conti- in 1284 AD., spent the rest of his nued in Seville up to the 12th century life in translating Arabic books into A D., under the direction of the Castellano. famous Jewish couple "Eugines of ieville" (Yohanna or Johannis Hispa- Also the Italian physician "Bra lensis) and "Dorninix Gondisalvo" mino Latini", who was also the (Ghandalba) who turned into Christi- Ambassador of Florence in Toledo in Roots of Andalusian Islamic Medicine---Samir Yet.ie EI-Gammal 31

1260 A.D., translated many Arabic Conclusion: medical books into Latin. From the above mentioned facts, one can clearly see, how great was Other famous translators were; the influence of the Islamic civilisation Mousa ibn Taboun and his bro- in Andalusia on the life of the Medie- thers, val Europeans which led them through Ibn Shatoub, their dark ages to the light of the Nathan AI-Matoni, modern glory which ended in the Yahoudha AI-Harzi, 20th century's golden glory of Giovanni de Capoa. inter-planetary communicatios. Simon de Genova and many others. 32 BUll. Ind. Inst. Hist. Med. Vol. XXII

REFERENCES

1. Charles Singer Short 2nd Ed., 1962, pp. 67. 2. AI-Razi AI- Hawi (Continens) Hyderabad Ed., India, 1962. 3. Ibn Rushd AI-Kulliat (Colliget) Cairo Government Press, 1928. 4. AI-Zahrawi AI- Tasrif Lucknow Ed., India, 1908.

5. Thabit ibn Qurrah AI-Dhakhira Cairo Government Press, 1928. 6. lbn AI-Quff AI-Omda fil Gir ahah Hyderabad Ed., India, 1962. 7. AI-Ibn Baytar AI-Game Li-Mufradat AI-Adwiya wal Aghdhia 8. Hunayn Ibn lshaq AI-Ashr Maqalat fil Ein Egyptian Government Press, 1928

9. Dawud AI-Antaki Tazkerat Ulul Albab Boulak Ed., Cairo, 1870.

10. Ibn Abi Usaibea Tabaqat AI-Atibba Beirut Ed. (Classes of Physicians)

11. Ibn Al-Oif ti Tarikh AI-Falasifah (H istory of Philosophers) Leipzig Dieterichsches Verlags buch Handling, 1903. 12. V. Barthold History of Islamic Civilisation

13. A. Garrison Garrison's History of Medicine 4th Ed.

14. Dr. Hasan Kamal Encyclopaedia of Islamic Medicine 1st Ed., Cairo, 1975

15. Manfred Ulmann Islamic Medicine Edinburgh University Press, 1978.

16. Dr. Saber Gabra History of Drugs & Cure Cairo Ed., 1960. Roots of Andalusian Islamic Medicine--Samir Yahia EI-Gammal 33

17. Dr. Father George Shehata Qanawaty Drugs and Medicaments Cairo Ed., 1959. 18. Associated Institution for the Study Islamic and Arab Contribution to the and Presentation of Arab Cultural European Renaissance Values General Egyptian Book Organisation Ed., 1977, Cairo.

19. Abridged Arab Medicine Arab Organisation for Education, and Pharmacy History Culture and Sciences, Members Cairo Ed , 1970. 20. Encyclopaedia of Islamic Sciences and Islamic Scientists Cairo Ed., 1980. 34 Bull. Ind. Inst. Hist, Med. Vol. XXII

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