The Arab World

On the basis of the Greek biographical sketches of Hippocrates and Galen, the Arabs gave accounts of their ethics, professional skills, and habits, serving as role models for all other physicians. Apart from such secondary sources, the works of the renowned Greeks also contain great amounts of deontological material. The legendary origins of Arabic medicine are also related to the Prophet of Islam. The real formative period of Arabic medicine starts with translations of the 3rd/9th century. During the classical epoch of Islamicate medicine between the 3rd/9th and the 7th/13th centuries, many monographs and handbooks were produced by many authors. The relatively easy accessibility of Arabic medical books and their clear systematization were the main reasons for their medieval European reception. The chapter also provides a brief outline of the disciplines of medicine and their literary genres.