Avicenna and His Impact on Medieval European Medicine

Avicenna was an early medieval Arabic philosopher and physician. He had devoted his life to the intellectual pursuits. He had made many contributions to early medicine and was important for the development of medicine in medieval Europe. In this paper, I discuss Avicenna’s theories and teachings on medicine as well as the impacts of his works on the development of European medieval medicine. I first start off with a discussion on Avicenna’s life. This is based largely on his autobiography as well as the biography written by his student. By learning about his life, we can understand the context for his medical theories. Next I talk about his theories on medicine. He compiled most of his medical theories in his book, “The Canon of Medicine.” I discuss all the aspects of medicine that is covered in his book to provide a frame of reference for what theories of his were transmitted and taught in medieval Europe. I conclude with a discussion on the state of medicine in medieval Europe before Avicenna’s works were transmitted there. How Avicenna’s works were transmitted as well as evidence for his impact in the medical sphere of medieval Europe is later presented here. The section finishes off with an explanation for why Avicenna’s influence in medieval Europe disappeared