ABSTRACT
The studies of Dr. Lucien Leclerc in the history of Islamic medicine are, however, epoch-making, and others, without particularly concerning themselves with medicine, have shown the great merit of the Arabian physicists and have proved that their civilization was not plagiarism. As to medicine, the influence of the precepts of the Prophet was considerable. Islamic medicine and the Arabian physicians were only known by Latin translations of their works which, according to the opinion of all historians, are very defective. It is clear that one cannot expect to find in the Islamic writings the results which have been attained by modern experimental medicine, but those obtained by the Arabs by the method of observation were often far superior to those of their forerunners and even of Galen himself. Although the Islamic physicians were preoccupied with theory, they did not lose sight of the practical side of medicine.
