Abulcasis

Abulcasis (also known as Abu al-Qasim) was a renowned Andalusian physician, surgeon, and author who is often regarded as the father of modern surgery. He was born in the city of El-Zahra, 8 kilometers northwest of Cordoba, Andalusia. His family was of the Ansar tribe who had settled earlier in Spain.

Life[edit | edit source]

Abulcasis was born in 936 AD in Cordoba. He lived in an era that is often considered the apex of the Islamic Golden Age, where Cordoba was the intellectual center of the Islamic world. He studied medicine and probably surgery under the influence of his father, a physician, and was later appointed as the court physician for the Caliph Al-Hakam II.

Works[edit | edit source]

Abulcasis's most notable work is the Al-Tasrif, a thirty-volume encyclopedia of medical practices. It was based on his own experiences as a physician and the works of earlier doctors. The Al-Tasrif covered a broad range of medical topics, including dentistry, pharmacy, therapy, psychology, weight loss, and surgery. The last volume of the Al-Tasrif is dedicated to surgery and is considered his most significant contribution to medicine.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Abulcasis's work had a profound impact on medicine and surgery in Europe. His texts were among the first medical manuals to be translated from Arabic into Latin, and his work was widely studied by European medical scholars. His surgical techniques, particularly those related to trepanation, amputation, and the setting of bone fractures, were revolutionary for the time and remained the standard of care for hundreds of years.

See also[edit | edit source]

Abulcasis Resources
Need Help Finding a Doctor? Need help finding a doctor or specialist anywhere in the world? Explore our world directory. WikiMD's DocFinder can assist you in locating millions of physicians.	Medical Knowledge Access the latest research - Most recent articles Ongoing trials.