The Islamic World

The Islamic World Ruled by Caliphs after Mohammed died in 632 AD. Caliphs spread Mohammed's teachings, sometimes by force. By 1000 AD they ruled a huge empire. People spoke Arabic and Islam was the most important religion. Caliphs set up universities and schools as learning was important to Muslims. They built public baths because the Qur'an said hygiene was important. MedicineCause of Illness / Diagnosis:- Accepted Hippocratic idea of clinical observation and used both Hippocrates' and Galen's ideas about diagnosis. --> CONTINUITYHealth Care and Treatment:- Invented and used new processes. E.g. distillation, preparing drugs to treat diseases and to use as an anesthetic. - They had several hospitals in towns and cities which were used to train doctors.- Doctors were given a license if they passed and could set up their own medical practice or work in a hospital.- There were also lots of healers without a license who were not stopped from working.--> PROGRESSION

Public Health:- Hospitals were set up to care for the sick because charity was important in Islam.- The hospital set up in Cairo in AD 1283 saw that patients were given money when they left so that they didn't have to back to work immediately.--> PROGRESSIONAnatomy and Surgery:- They invented a way to anaesthetise patients ( soaking a sponge in a mixture of narcotics such as hoshish and opium, keeping a supply dried out then dampening them and putting them over the patients face or inserting two pieces in the nostrils.- However, they still saw surgery as a last resort.- Abulcasis wrote a surgical textbook with explanations and diagrams. It said that surgeons should never operate until they knew exactly what was causing the pain and surgery should be quick so they should be prepared with all the equipment set out.- Abulcasis also wrote about sewing up wounds and dislocations.- They were skilled in eye operations since they were more willing to do surgery that didn't involve cutting the body open. E.g they could remove cataracts and tumours.- Arab dentists were more careful and skilled than western ones. E.g. They made artificial teeth from bone.--> PROGRESSIONSpecific Medical Provision:- Towns had several hospitals to train doctors and care for the sick.- Rhazes wrote about 200 medical books e.g. On Smallpox and Measles. He also wrote an encyclopedia covering Greek and Arabic ideas.- Avicenna wrote Canon of Medicine which was translated into Latin and used as a textbook.The Fall of the Roman Empire in the WestThere was regression in the West after 400 AD. The Roman Empire was destroyed. Knowledge of building materials regressed - there were houses made of wood rather than stone. Knowledge of medical treatments also regressed to spiritual treatments with no logic. E.g. a dung beetle to cure a sore stomach and a frog to cure a gouty patient.

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