''The Complete Book of the Medical Art'' ( ar, كامل الصناعة الطبية, ''Kāmil al-ṣināʻa al-ṭibbīya'') also known as ''The Royal Book'' ( ar, الكتاب الملكي, ''Al-Kitāb al-Malakī'') was written by

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

ian physician,

'Ali ibn al-'Abbas al-Majusi 'Ali ibn al-'Abbas al-Majusi ( fa, علی بن عباس مجوسی; died between 982 and 994), also known as Masoudi, or Latinized as Haly Abbas, was a Persian physician and psychologist from the Islamic Golden Age, most famous for the '' Kitab ...

during the 10th century. He dedicated the book to king

'Adud al-Dawla Fannā (Panāh) Khusraw ( fa, پناه خسرو), better known by his laqab of ʿAḍud al-Dawla ( ar, عضد الدولة, "Pillar of the bbasidDynasty") (September 24, 936 – March 26, 983) was an emir of the Buyid dynasty, ruling from 9 ...

, whom he was serving at the time. This book was considered one of the most necessary texts for medical students of that era, and the importance of his book was mentioned several times in views of different medicine historians, such as Lucien Leclerc and

Arturo Castiglioni Arturo Castiglioni (10 April 1874, Trieste – 21 January 1953, Milano) was an Italian-born American medical historian and university professor. Biography Castiglioni grew up in Trieste, Italy. In 1939, he emigrated to the States and became a p ...

. This book consists of 20 treatises. The first 10 treatise describe mostly the theories of medicine, while the second 10 treatise are focused on the practice of medicine. The 9th treatise in the second part is focused on surgery, and consists of 110 different surgical subjects, including techniques of treating

aneurism An aneurysm is an outward :wikt:bulge, bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also b ...

, excising cysts and

tumor A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

s and treating

hernia A hernia is the abnormal exit of tissue or an organ (anatomy), organ, such as the bowel, through the wall of the cavity in which it normally resides. Various types of hernias can occur, most commonly involving the abdomen, and specifically the gr ...

s. This part was at the center of attention of western and eastern researchers. Al-Majūsī is well known for his accurate description of pleurisy,

circulatory system The blood circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the entire body of a human or other vertebrate. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, tha ...

, and the importance of diet and

physical exercise Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic ...

in maintaining

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

In the introduction of his book, Al-Majūsī criticizes many of Greek and

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

physicians and their books. For example, in review of

Hippocrates Hippocrates of Kos (; grc-gre, Ἱπποκράτης ὁ Κῷος, Hippokrátēs ho Kôios; ), also known as Hippocrates II, was a Greek physician of the classical period who is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of ...

and his works, he writes: "

didn't describe most of the illnesses as comprehensive as he should, making them difficult to understand ...", although he also mentions the positive aspects of these books as well. The book was partially translated to

latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

in 1089 and then was widely circulated in Europe.

References

Iranian books Iranian literature Medical works of medieval Iran Medical works of the medieval Islamic world 10th-century Arabic books {{med-book-stub

See also

References