The role of Galen in the development and progress of medical sciences.

Early Roman medicine was a mixture of religion and witchcraft, but as time went by, it became more influenced by the Greek medical sciences, which were more developed. The most famous Greek physician during the Roman period was Galen (129-200 AD). In the 4th century A. D. The Byzantine physicians of the Emperor Julian, made the Galenic writings available to ordinary practitioners, and so Greek medicine spread throughout Syria and was carried by the Nestorians into Persia, where it became available to the Islamic World.

Hormones throughout history.

Since remote ages man believed that, the different parts of his body and that of the animals, contained therapeutical elements, with effective powers like magic, and that he can fortify his own personality by consuming some parts of the bodies of human beings or animals. He also believed that his organic diseases were due to deficiency in these organs concerning ailments, so he treated them with similar organs of different animals.

The relation between Greek and Islamic materia medica.

Many studies have been made on the exact data of the introduction of Greek sciences to the Arabic culture. During the 8th and 9th centuries A.D. a big progress was done in the Arab-Islamic sciences, when the Caliphs of the Omayad and Abbasid dynasties invited many scientists, researchers and translators for translation of all sciences into Arabic. The Arabs paid special attention to the Greek natural sciences such as botany and pharmacy. Greek materia medica was a major common basis for Arab-Islamic medicine and pharmacy which in turn paved the way to the modern pharmaceutical therapy.

Preparation of ethereal oils (Al-Duhoun) by Ibn Al-Quff (13th century A.D.).

Ibn Al-Quff was born in Damascus. He learned medicine from Ibn Abi Usaibia. Ibn Al-Quff was excelled in medicine as well as in Surgery. He wrote several books, of which was "Al-Qumdah" (The Authority on Surgery). Another book was "Al-Shafi" (The Healer) on medicine. In the book "The Authority on Surgery", Ibn Al-Quff has devoted a special chapter, on the preparation of ethereal oils, which was commonly known as Al-Duhoun. He has described about 34 different oils together with their medical action.

Rhazes contribution to the development and progress of medical sciences.

Rhazes was fond of music since his childhood, then studied philosophy and wrote several books about it. Later on he indulged himself in the study of chemistry and medicine. After finishing his studies, Rhazes went back to his home town and practised medicine and soon became very famous. He wrote more than 224 books on various subjects. His most important work is the medical encyclopaedia "continens" (Al-Hawi) which greatly effected the human civilization specially in Europe.

Ancient Egyptian roots in the modern medical and pharmaceutical civilisation.

The Egyptian civilisation was long before any of the neighbouring countries. Medicine and pharmacy in ancient Egypt were deeply rooted since mellenia of years. The ancient Egyptian medical papyri, discovered more than a century ago, proved that the Egyptians were the first to attain civilisation, which was copied and adopted by all the neighbouring countries and not the reverse as believed by the Europeans that the ancient Greece was the cradle of civilisation.

Avicenna's contribution to the development and progress of medical sciences.

Avicenna was born in the village of Belkh near Bukhara in Persia. He was a very famous philosopher, wiseman and an efficient physician. He wrote more than one hundred books on all aspects and sciences known in his time i.e. philosophy, wisdom, religion, mathematics, sophism, literature, poetry and medicine. In medicine, the most celebrated of them is "Al-Qanun fil Tibb", which surpassed other similar books on medicine and considered the biggest medical encyclopaedia of his time. Those orientalists who believe in Greek medicine consider this book as the only textbook on the art of curing and recovery.

The role of Hippocrates in the development and progress of medical sciences.

Greek relations with Egypt dates back to before 2000 B.C. The early Greek known systematic medicine began with the legendary Asclepios, the Greek God of Medicine. Round the 7th century B.C. many Greeks migrated to Egypt. Many of them came to Egypt to study all kinds of sciences. Greek and thence the European medicine started with the age of Pericles. Its progress centered in Hippocrates, the most Greek physician. He founded the Coan school at Cos about 430 B.C. Hippocrates separated Greek medicine from superstitions, magic and religion. He is called the father of Greek medicine. He wrote several books, the most famous of them is "The Collection" formed of 30 volumes. He exacted an oath of medical ethics also. After 300 B.C. the Hippocratic collection began to circulate, and in it was thrown everything that could by any device be passed off as of Hippocratic origin. Many medical schools were founded in Greece, which pushed medical sciences into much progress and development.

Pharmacy and medicine education in ancient Egypt.

The ancient Egyptians knew many of the therapeutical effects of the medicinal plants. This knowledge was taught at home from father to son. So, these houses formed the first primitive pharmacy and medicine schools. Century after century, the ancient Egyptians became more and more interested in medical sciences. Temples began to establish medical and pharmaceutical schools. Priests of good and honest character with scientific background were chosen to become teachers and professors in these schools. Another medical and pharmaceutical schools teaching all the scientific courses were the Per Ankh or Houses of Life. Special schools were erected inside the Royal palaces for the education of the Royal family children, the nobles and the court officials comprising all sorts of sciences and arts, specially taught in its own Per Ankh, as in Heliopolis and Memphis palaces.