A critique on Avicenna’s (980 – 1037 A.D) studies on anatomy of the upper respiratory system and some otorhinolaryngologic concepts

Abstract

Background: Avicenna (also known as Ibn Sina) was arguably one of the outstanding medical scientists and physicians of the time. He made significant contributions in the development of various medical fields in the golden age of Islamic medicine (9-12 th century AD) and in Europe. Ibn Sina contributed immensely to human anatomy, physiology, pathology and management of most disorders of the human body. Of paramount importance was the systemic description of the anatomy of various organs and surgical interventions associated with the problems. Although neither formal dissection nor surgical training was recorded during his time, the anatomic and surgical information presented in the Canon of Medicine is congruent with modern advancement. The current study was undertaken to compare Avicenna's anatomy of the ear, nose, oral cavity, throat and larynx to modern anatomical texts. Methods: The current work analysed the anatomy information on the ear, nose, oral cavity, throat and the larynx as presented in volumes one and three of the Canon of Medicine. The information was compared to modern anatomic descriptions. Results: Avicenna described correctly the anatomy and functions of the external and internal ear, nose, oral cavity, parts of the throat and larynx. He described voice production in the larynx and subsequent contributions on the nose, uvula and tongue in shaping the syllables. The functional aspects, disorders and their management associated with the ear and the upper respiratory system were also described. Conclusions: The findings show that Ibn Sina's contributions had a major influence on the development and advancement of medical practise. His anatomic explanations are comparable to modern knowledge on the subject. They also show that the Canon of Medicine is still a valuable book in the study of the history of medicine.

Perception of Traditional Uvulectomy and Associated Factors Among Mothers of Under Five Years’ Children in Sokoto State, Nigeria

“…In the 4 th century BC Aristotle and Hippocrates referred to the uvula as a source of inflammation and oedema, capable of causing suffocation (8). Uvulectomy has been described by the Byzanthine Physicians as far back as the Greek age (324-1453AD) (6).The practice of uvulectomy is rarely indicated in the orthodox medical practice by otolaryngologist but the practice of traditional uvulectomy is widespread in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Maghreb, Israel and Northern Nigeria (9).…”

An Analysis of Otolaryngology in Avicenna's Canon of Medicine: Utilizing the Original Arabic Text

“…Avicenna's writings on rhinology were detailed and reviewed by Mazengenya and Bhikha 8 . Of particular interest is his description of epistaxis.…”

Revisiting Avicenna’s (ad 980–1037) Anatomical Concepts of the Musculoskeletal and Peripheral Nervous Systems in the Canon of Medicine

“…In addition, he described the digastric muscle, its attachments and actions including in association with other infrahyoid muscles [18][19][20]. Muscles associated with the larynx were also described in the Canon of Medicine, but their names were not provided [7,10,29]. Avicenna described the actions of the salpingopharyngeus and palatoglossus in elevating the larynx and pharynx during deglutition [18][19][20].…”

“…Analysis of Avicenna's anatomical concepts as presented in the Canon of Medicine has become increasingly popular and several researches have been published to date [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. Common findings from these researches point out to the relevance of Avicenna's anatomy and its place in revolutionizing modern medicine.…”