Letter to the Editor: The Science and Art of Medicine

Historically and philosophically, it is well established that basicscientific principles and apprenticeship form the basis of medicaleducation and clinical practice. The history of medicine reportsthat early Greek and Arab or Moslem physicians were generallyscientists who were well versed in mathematics, physics andchemistry. Al-Kindi (Alkindus), 800–873, who had an activecareer in Baghdad, was a philosopher, astronomer, mathematician,physicist, geographer, and physician. He also had expertisein music. Similarly, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), 980–1037, had masteredphysics, mathematics, logic and metaphysics and then studiedMedicine. He wrote the Canon of Medicine , which remained theprincipal reference in medical schools for several centuries.The Arab and Islamic world has many hospitals named after IbnSina in recognition of his contribution to the early developmentof medicine.