A HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



times, written from the practical experience of the 

 physician, and not a mere compilation of ancient 

 authors. A century after Albucasis came the great 

 physician Avenzoar (i 1 13-1 196), with whom he divides 

 about equally the medical honors of the western 

 caliphate. Among Avenzoar' s discoveries was that of 

 the cause of "itch" a little parasite, "so small that 

 he is hardly visible." The discovery of the cause of 

 this common disease seems of minor importance now, 

 but it is of interest in medical history because, had 

 Avenzoar's discovery been remembered a hundred 

 years ago, "itch struck in" could hardly have been 

 considered the cause of three-fourths of all diseases, 

 as it was by the famous Hahnemann. 



The illustrious pupil of Avenzoar, Averrhoes, who 

 died in 1198 A.D., was the last of the great Arabian 

 physicians who, by rational conception of medicine, 

 attempted to stem the flood of superstition that was 

 overwhelming medicine. For a time he succeeded ; but 

 at last the Moslem theologians prevailed, and he was 

 degraded and banished to a town inhabited only by 

 the despised Jews. 



ARABIAN HOSPITALS 



To early Christians belong the credit of having 

 established the first charitable institutions for caring 

 for the sick; but their efforts were soon eclipsed by 

 both Eastern and Western Mohammedans. As early 

 as the eighth century the Arabs had begun building 

 hospitals, but the flourishing time of hospital building 

 seems to have begun early in the tenth century. 

 Lady Seidel, in 918 A.D., opened a hospital at Bagdad, 



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