Have you ever wondered about the origins of the tools we use today? Where did they come from and who invented them? Well, you might be surprised to find out that many of the inventions we use today, especially in the area of medicine, came from a period of rapid revolution known as the Golden Age of Islam. Coincidentally, this era occurred simultaneously with Europe’s early Middle Ages, otherwise known as the ‘Dark Ages’. The Dark Ages are known as a period of relative intellectual stagnation and political turmoil in Western Europe. Meanwhile, in the Muslim empire, the Golden Age of Islam was taking place, most notably in medicine.
The Golden Age of Islam is said to date from the mid-7th century to the mid-13th century. During this time, Baghdad, the capital of modern-day Iraq, was the centre of the Islamic Empire. This city became a bustling trade centre, where goods and ideas were exchanged. Universities, hospitals, schools, observatories and libraries were established for the pursuit of knowledge. The Islamic empire was under the control of the Abbasid caliphate at the time. The Caliph, or ruler, Harun al-Rashid and his son, Al-Ma’mun, established a ‘House of Wisdom’ — a dedicated space for scholarship, teaching, and learning. The House of Wisdom, from 813 to 833 C.E., was well known at the time, and was visited by people from faraway lands to expand their knowledge. Famous scholars were invited to come to the House of Wisdom. It was a learning hub for Muslims, Christians, and Jews who all collaborated and worked peacefully together.
The hospitals built in Baghdad were some of the first in the world and treated rich and poor people as equals. In medicine, one prominent figure was Ibn al-Haythm, who was able to form an explanation of how the eye sees, which led to the invention of the first camera. Ibn Sina (also known as Avicenna), a doctor and philosopher, wrote the Canon of Medicine. This was the world’s first medical textbook, which helped physicians diagnose dangerous diseases such as cancer. Another figure, Abu Bakr Al-Razi (also known as Rhazes) made contributions to our understanding of the spread and nature of infectious diseases. Even to this day, Al-Razi is well-known in the Middle East for his detailed description of smallpox and measles. Together, Al-Razi and Ibn Sina are credited with the invention of the quarantine method, which recognises the importance of preventing diseases from spreading by isolation.
Another figure, Ibn al-Nafis, is known for his developments in discovering the cardiovascular system. He was the first to provide a description of the pulmonary circulation. In that description he suggested that blood does not permeate the interventricular septum in the heart; instead, it circulates in the lungs through the pulmonary arteries and veins. This was a new development at the time, as it built on previous work, which had not yet recognised the large amount of blood that flowed from the heart to the lungs and back to the heart.
Furthermore, one more prominent figure, Al-Zahrawi, known as the ‘father of modern surgery’, made significant contributions to surgical techniques, inventing over 200 surgical instruments. He also utilised a new innovative material, catgut (a cord made from animal intestines — usually sheep or goat, rather than cat), for internal suturing of wounds. Furthermore, he detailed procedures for various operations, many of which are still practiced today in modern surgery. He specialised in the technique of cauterisation, which used burning a part of a body to close it off, in an attempt to mitigate bleeding or minimise infections. Al-Zahrawi also pioneered neurosurgery and neurological diagnosis. He is known to have performed surgical treatments of head injuries, skull fractures, spinal cord injuries, hydrocephalus (a condition where cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the brain causing a pressure build up in the skull), and headaches.
In the mental health field, many prominent figures in medicine from the medieval Arab world created ways to understand the relationship between the mind and body. Once again, the two physicians, Al-Razı and Ibn Sina, incorporated methods in clinical practice to address psychological issues. Razi wrote a treatise in spiritual medicine titled, Al-Tibb ar-Ruhani, in which he explained his ideas on psychotherapy focusing on the spirit or ‘ruh’. Similarly, Ibn Sina wrote an important book, Kitab Al-Nafs, in which he examines Sufi teachings as a cure for the soul, which he refers to as the ‘nafs.’ Ibn Sina believed that the body and soul can be separated, and the soul is immaterial, immortal and does not perish with the body. The Golden Age of Islam needs more recognition as many of the inventions and advancements that were taking place at the time are still relevant today, especially in the field of medicine. Ultimately, there are many other contributions in areas such as astronomy, mathematics, philosophy, arts, and literature. You’ll be amazed at how applicable the contributions from that time are to your life!
