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It
has often been stated that the Muslim period of Spain’s history
(also known as al-Andalus) was a Golden Age of Islamic civilization and
society. Almost utopian harmony between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism
prevailed, great advancements were made in the sciences, and wealth and
stability were the rule rather than the exception.
One
of the great figures of Muslim Spain was Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi, Islam’s
greatest medieval surgeon. He revolutionized how surgery was performed by
inventing new methods and tools to help heal patients. His thirty-volume
encyclopedia of medicine was used as a standard text for medicine throughout
Europe for centuries. The impact he had on how medicine was practiced was truly
revolutionary.
Background
Al-Zahrawi
lived during most powerful period of the Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba. He was
born in 936 and died in 1013, and served the Umayyad Caliph al-Hakam II and the
military ruler, al-Mansur. Throughout his life, al-Zahrawi was a court
physician, having been patronized by the rulers of al-Andalus and recognized
for his medical genius. He served in such a capacity as a doctor for over 50
years.
Unlike
many doctors and hospitals in the “modern” world today, al-Zahrawi insisted on
seeing patients regardless of their financial status. By seeing a wide variety
of patients every day and recording his treatment of them, he left behind a
very valuable text of medical knowledge that he called al-Tasrif.
Al-Tasrif
 |
A page from the original al-Tasrif written by al-Zahrawi in the 900s
|
His
encyclopedia of medicine is divided into 30 volumes. Each one of which dealt
with a different aspect of medicine. He discussed how to diagnose diseases in
one of the early volumes. He noted that a good doctor should always rely on his
own observation of the patient and his/her symptoms instead of simply accepting
what the patient says – a practice still employed by doctors today.
Al-Zahrawi
takes a holistic approach to medicine. Not only does he discuss how to treat
diseases, he describes how to prevent them. He dedicates parts of his books to
discussing what foods should be avoided, how to maintain a healthy diet, and
how to use food as part of a treatment plan. He particularly notes the effects
of alcohol on the body. He states:
“[Alcohol
causes] general weakness of most of the nerves of the body, difficulties in articulation,
weakness of voluntary movements, arthralgias, gout, etc.. disturbances of the
liver which causes tumors and obstructions which is a definite cause of ascites
and general ill health”1
Surgery
His
most influential volume of al-Tasrif is the 30th, the one dedicated to surgery.
In it, he explains in detail how to perform certain surgeries to cure certain
ailments. He insists in it that all surgeons must first be very well versed in
general medicine, anatomy, and even the writings of philosophers who studied
medicine.
Al-Zahrawi
pioneered many of the procedures and materials still used in operating rooms
today. He was the first to use catgut as the thread for internal stitches.
Catgut is a thread made from the lining of the intestines of animals. It is the
only material that can be used for stitches and still be absorbed by the body,
preventing the need for a second surgery to remove internal stitches. He
invented many tools necessary for modern surgery. He was the first to use forceps
in childbirth, greatly decreasing the mortality rate of babies and mothers. He
performed tonsillectomies with the same tongue depressors, hooks, and scissors
used today. He used concealed knifes to cut into patients without making them apprehensive
He used both local and oral anaesthesia in order to reduce the pain patients
experienced during surgery. He performed mastectomies removing a woman’s breast
if she had breast cancer, a procedure still done today. He described how to set
bone fractures, amputate limbs, and even how to crush bladder stones. To
describe all his “firsts” in medicine would take a book of its own.
Despite
his immense knowledge and ability, he always refused to do risky or unknown
surgeries that would be stressful physically and emotionally for the patient.
He believed in the importance of human life and sought to extend it as long as
possible. His precedent was a prime example for effective bedside manner that
all doctors should exhibit.
Legacy
 |
| An early inhaler invented by al-Zahrawi. At the top is the original Arabic while the Latin translation is at the bottom |
Al-Tasrif
made its way from al-Andalus throughout the Muslim and Christian worlds. Over
the course of centuries, it was translated into Latin and other European
languages. Thus, many of the procedures he pioneered were given names that do
not indicate that he originated them. For example, the “Walcher position” of
childbirth and the “Kocher method” for fixing dislocated shoulders were
invented by al-Zahrawi but credited to later European physicians.
Regardless
of credit, al-Zahrawi’s contributions to medicine and particularly surgery were
revolutionary for his time. Without the procedures and tools that he pioneered,
surgery today may still be a barbaric guessing game. His abilities and his
consistent recording of procedures helped advance medicine for centuries, and
we are still in debt to his genius.
Footnotes:
1
- Awadain, M. Reda. “A Recent Look and Study of Some Papers of al-Zahrawi’s
Book “al-Tasrif”.” IslamSet. N.p.. Web. 16 Dec 2012.
Bibliography:
al-Hassani,
Salim. 1001 Inventions: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Civilization. Washington
D.C. : National Geographic Society, 2012. Print.
Awadain,
M. Reda. “A Recent Look and Study of Some Papers of al-Zahrawi’s Book
“al-Tasrif”.” IslamSet. N.p.. Web. 16 Dec 2012.
Morgan,
M. (2007). Lost History. Washington D.C. : National Geographic Society.
