Europe’s Neighbours:Byzantium

and the Islamic World

Byzantium• Eastern Roman Empire

– 476AD – 1453AD• But giving way to growing Muslim Empire

• Orthodox Christian• Kept Romano-Greek traditions alive

for a thousand years– Including medicine– Libraries, Manuscripts– But little communication with Western

Europe• Natural treatments still used• First true Hospitals built

– Private – non-religious

Constantinople

Byzantine Architecture

Fall of Byzantium• Very sophisticated Culture

– Also very wealthy• The Rise of Islam• Crusades

– Originally asked Pope in Rome for Help against Muslims

– The Western Christians turned on rich city of Constantinople itself

• 1204• Fatally weakening Empire

• Ottoman Turks conquer Constantinople– 1453

The Rise of Islam• Prophet Mohammed

– 622AD• Rapid spread of Islam

– Common language of Arabic • Centres of Islam

– Mecca, Baghdad, Alexandria, Damascus, Jerusalem, Constantinople

• Cultural Bridge– Conquers / exposed to many traditions

• eg Greek, Indian, Christian– Islamic Scholars have access to all of

these translated books in large Arabic libraries eg in Baghdad

Arabic Translation of Hippocrates

Rapid Spread of Islam

The Koran

• The Koran– Hygiene very important

• Eg always Wash before prayers• Even toothbrushes mentioned

– Care for the Sick and Poor– Respects Learning/Education

• Translates books from all conquered/neighbouring nations

– Dissections Forbidden

Medical Ideas in the Islamic World

• Very knowledgeable Doctors– Well Read– Classically influenced

• Galen, Hippocrates– Clinical Observation– Share ideas across a huge Arabic speaking world

• Ibn Sinna wrote a Million world textbook covering all aspects of Medicine

– ‘The Canon of Medicine’» Use for the next 600 years

• But– Unwilling to criticise Texts

• Koran or Galen– Theory more important than practice

Important Doctors

• Arabic For Doctor– Hakeem = Wise Man– Many doctors were actually

Nestorian Christians

• Al-Rhazes– identifies Smallpox and Measles

• Ibn an-Nafis– Identifies that blood moves through

Lungs

• Al-Zahrawi– Surgeon

• Caesarean Sections• Cataract Extractions

– Use of Natural Anaesthetic• Darnel

IslamicAlchemists

• Trying to make Gold

• They failed but they were accidentally the first Chemists– Developed

Scientific Apparatus

– Could identify, purify and separate chemicals

• Eg alcohol

Other Medical Ideas• Mental Health Treated

– Asylums, Musical treatments attempted• Dental Health

– Wooden False Teeth used• Ophthalmology

– Cataracts treated• Infectious Diseases

– Isolation and Quarantine used• Hospitals

– Built through charitable donations– Hygienically maintained

Al-Mansour Hospital

Islamic Ideas come to Europe• The Crusades

– Illustrated how far Europe had fallen behind the united and well educated Islamic World

– Source 1 page 74 for evidence– Islamic doctors were shocked at the poor medical

knowledge and understanding of the Europeans– Many Crusaders prefer to use Islamic ideas that work

rather than Christian ideas that don’t• Spain

– An Islamic Kingdom for hundreds of years• To 1100AD

– Slowly reconquered by Christians– Large library at Cordoba

• Translated books into Latin• Many for the first time• Some retranslated

– Eg Galen and Hippocrates – Some Errors were noticed

The Alhambra, Spain