THE KEY TO MEDICINE AND A GUIDE FOR STUDENTS

سقطمنالنسخة

The teacher Aba al-Faraj ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Hindu said: Some of my learned friends have looked through my work entitled “A Treatise Encouraging the Study of Philosophy”.

its easily understandable style made them want a similar treatise on medicine. So I undertook to compose such a treatise for them, taking pains to make it accessible, and called it “The Key to Medicine” to indicate its objective.

I divided it into ten chapters under the following titles. I. On encouraging the study of professions in general and the profession of medicine in particular. II. On the importance of the profession of medicine.

III. On the definition of medicine. IV. On the nobility of medicine. V. On the branches of medicine. VI. On the different schools of medicine.

VII. On the way in which the profession of medicine developed. VIII. On what fields of knowledge a physician should know in order to achieve perfection in his profession.

IX. On how to train the medical student, and a graded list of books written on the subject. X. On medical terms and definitions.

Now, I shall proceed with God’s help and discuss the subject chapter by chapter as enumerated in my list.

Chapter One: On encouraging the study of professions in general and the profession of medicine in particular.

When the Ancients defined the existent as that which causes an action or suffers the effect, it followed that its antithesis is non-existent and is without those qualities.

For, should we assume that a person is without the actions or reactions pertaining to mankind, then it is logical to define him as non-existent and not to describe him as existent.