A Concise History of Science in India c8.s9.3

c8.s9.3

From the end of the seventh century, the Muslim Caliphs and their courtiers began to take active interest in Greek philosophy and science in general and in Greek medicine in particular. They collected together the masters of Greek medicine from the various parts of their dominions and Greek medical works from their own dominions as well as from foreign countries. They also invited several Indian medical men to their capital. In less than a century they got translated into Arabic most of the Greek and several of the important Indian medical works. Under their patronage the Arabs, as well as the non-Arabs, the Muslim and the non-Muslims began serious study of these medical works from the ninth century and continued it on a wide scale for many centuries, the main centres of their activities being Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, Cordova and various other capitals of Islamic dominions. During this period they adapted, summarized, commented upon and made certain important additions to the Greek system of medicine as a result of their own observations and experience of medical cases.