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the first accurate account of smallpox； which he differentiated from
measles。 This work was translated for the old Sydenham Society by W。A。
Greenhill （1848）； and the description given of the disease is well worth
reading。 He was a man of strong powers of observation； good sense and
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excellent judgment。 His works were very popular； particularly the gigantic
〃Continens；〃 one of the bulkiest of incunabula。 The Brescia edition； 1486；
a magnificent volume； extends over 588 pages and it must weigh more
than seventeen pounds。 It is an encyclopaedia filled with extracts from the
Greek and other writers； interspersed with memoranda of his own
experiences。 His 〃Almansor〃 was a very popular text…book； and one of the
first to be printed。 Book IX of 〃Almansor〃 （the name of the prince to
whom it was addressed） with the title 〃De aegritudinibus a capite usque ad
pedes；〃 was a very favorite mediaeval text…book。 On account of his zeal
for study Rhazes was known as the 〃Experimentator。〃
The first of the Arabians； known throughout the Middle Ages as the
Prince； the rival； indeed； of Galen； was the Persian Ibn Sina； better known
as Avicenna； one of the greatest names in the history of medicine。 Born
about 980 A。 D。 in the province of Khorasan； near Bokhara； he has left a
brief autobiography from which we learn something of his early years。 He
could repeat the Koran by heart when ten years old； and at twelve he had
disputed in law and in logic。 So that he found medicine was an easy
subject； not hard and thorny like mathematics and metaphysics！ He
worked night and day； and could solve problems in his dreams。 〃When I
found a difficulty；〃 he says； 〃I referred to my notes and prayed to the
Creator。 At night； when weak or sleepy； I strengthened myself with a glass
of wine。〃＇12＇ He was a voluminous writer to whom scores of books are
attributed； and he is the author of the most famous medical text…book ever
written。 It is safe to say that the 〃Canon〃 was a medical bible for a longer
period than any other work。 It 〃stands for the epitome of all precedent
development； the final codification of all Graeco…Arabic medicine。 It is a
hierarchy of laws liberally illustrated by facts which so ingeniously rule
and are subject to one another； stay and uphold one another； that
admiration is compelled for the sagacity of the great organiser who； with
unparalleled power of systematisation； collecting his material from all
sources； constructed so imposing an edifice of fallacy。 Avicenna；
according to his lights； imparted to contemporary medical science the
appearance of almost mathematical accuracy； whilst the art of therapeutics；
although empiricism did not wholly lack recognition； was deduced as a
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logical sequence from theoretical （Galenic and Aristotelian） premises。 Is it；
therefore； matter for surprise that the majority of investigators and
practitioners should have fallen under the spell of this consummation of
formalism and should have regarded the 'Canon' as an infallible oracle； the
more so in that the logical construction was impeccable and the premises；
in the light of contemporary conceptions； passed for incontrovertible
axioms？〃＇13＇
＇12＇ Withington： Medical History； London； 1894； pp。 151…152。
＇13＇ Neuburger： History of Medicine； Vol。 I； pp。 368…369。
Innumerable manuscripts of it exist： of one of the most beautiful； a
Hebrew version （Bologna Library）； I give an illustration。 A Latin version
was printed in 1472 and there are many later editions； the last in 1663。
Avicenna was not only a successful writer； but the prototype of the
successful physician who was at the same time statesman； teacher；
philosopher and literary man。 Rumor has it that he became dissipated； and
a contemporary saying was that all his philosophy could not make him
moral； nor all his physic teach him to preserve his health。 He enjoyed a
great reputation as a poet。 I reproduce a page of a manuscript of one of his
poems； which we have in the Bodleian Library。 Prof。 A。V。W。 Jackson says
that some of his verse is peculiarly Khayyamesque； though he antedated
Omar by a century。 That 〃large Infidel〃 might well have written such a
stanza as
From Earth's dark centre unto Saturn's Gate I've solved all problems of
this world's Estate； From every snare of Plot and Guile set free； Each bond
resolved； saving alone Death's Fate。
His hymn to the Deity might have been written by Plato and rivals the
famous one of Cleanthes。＇14＇ A casual reader gets a very favorable
impression of Avicenna。 The story of his dominion over the schools in the
Middle Ages is one of the most striking in our history。 Perhaps we feel that
Leclerc exaggerates when he says： 〃Avicenna is an intellectual
phenomenon。 Never perhaps has an example been seen of so precocious；
quick and wide an intellect extending and asserting itself with so strange
and indefatigable an activity。〃 The touch of the man never reached me
until I read some of his mystical and philosophical writings translated by
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Mehren。＇15＇ It is Plato over again。 The beautiful allegory in which men
are likened to birds snared and caged until set free by the Angel of Death
might be met with anywhere in the immortal Dialogues。 The tractate on
Love is a commentary on the Symposium； and the essay on Destiny is
Greek in spirit without a trace of Oriental fatalism； as you may judge from
the concluding sentence； which I leave you as his special message： 〃Take
heed to the limits of your capacity and you will arrive at a knowledge of
the truth！ How true is the saying：Work ever and to each will come that
measure of success for which Nature has designed him。〃 Avicenna died in
his fifty…eighth year。 When he saw that physic was of no avail； resigning
himself to the inevitable； he sold his goods； distributed the money to the
poor； read the Koran through once every three days； and died in the holy
month of Ramadan。 His tomb at Hamadan； the ancient Ecbatana； still
exists； a simple brickwork building； rectangular in shape； and surrounded
by an unpretentious court。 It was restored in 1877； but is again in need of
repair。 The illustration here shown is from a photograph sent by Dr。
Neligan of Teheran。 Though dead； the great Persian has still a large
practice； as his tomb is much visited by pilgrims； among whom cures are
said to be not uncommon。
＇14＇ 〃L'hymne d'Avicenne〃 in： L'Elegie du Tograi； etc。； par P。 Vattier；
Paris； 1660。
＇15＇ Traites mystiques d'Abou Ali al…Hosain b。 Abdallah b。 Sina ou
d'Avicenne par M。 A。 F。 Mehren； Leyden； E。 J。 Brill； Fasc。 I…IV； 1889…
1899。
The Western Caliphate produced physicians and philosophers almost
as brilliant as those of the East。 Remarkable schools of medicine were
founded at Seville； Toledo and Cordova。 The most famous of the
professors were Averroes； Albucasis and Avenzoar。 Albucasis was 〃the
Arabian restorer of surgery。〃 Averroes； called in the Middle Ages 〃the Soul
of Aristotle〃 or 〃the Commentator；〃 is better known today among
philosophers than physicians。 On the revival of Moslem orthodoxy he fell
upon evil days； was persecuted as a free…thinker； and the saying is
attributed to him〃Sit anima mea cum philosophic。〃
Arabian medicine had certain very definite characteristics： the basis
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was Greek； derived from translations of the works of Hippocrates and
Galen。 No contributions were made to anatomy； as di