Ibn Sīnā’s (Avicenna’s) Canon of Medicine (al-Qānūn fī al-Ṭibb) is a highly structured and systematic medical encyclopedia that became a foundational text in both Islamic and European medicine for centuries. Written in the early 11th century, the Canon is divided into five books, each addressing major aspects of medicine in a logical, progressive order.

Read  Canon of Medicine online (pdf w/ page flip view), or text view of Selections of Ibn Sina’s Canon of Medicine online)

Overview #

Canon of Medicine – Ibn Sina’sal-Qānūn fī al-Ṭibb: #

Author: Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna) #

Title: Al-Qānūn fī al-Ṭibb (القانون في الطب)

 Book I – al-Kulliyyāt (الكليات) – General Principles of Medicine #

Focus: Foundational theory of medicine, natural philosophy, and basic physiology.

1. Definition and Scope of Medicine #

• Ṭibb (الطب) – medicine

• Definition, goals, the role of the physician

2. Theoretical and Practical Parts of Medicine #

• al-ʿIlmī wa-l-ʿAmalī (العلمي والعملي) – theoretical and practical medicine

3. The Elements (al-Arkān, الأركان) #

• Fire (nār, نار), Air (hawāʾ, هواء), Water (māʾ, ماء), Earth (arḍ, أرض)

• Qualities: hot (ḥār), cold (bārid), dry (yābis), moist (raṭb)

4. Temperament (Mizāj, المزاج) #

• Balanced (iʿtidāl) vs. imbalanced (taḥrīf)

• Types: sanguine (damawī), choleric (ṣafrāwī), melancholic (sawdāwī), phlegmatic (balghamī)

5. Humors (al-Akhlāṭ, الأخلاط) #

• Blood (dam, دم), Phlegm (balgham, بلغم), Yellow bile (ṣafrāʾ, صفراء), Black bile (sawdāʾ, سوداء)

• Production, functions, imbalance and disease

6. Organs (Aʿḍāʾ, الأعضاء) and Faculties (Quwā, القوى) #

• Natural (ṭabīʿiyya), Vital (ḥayawāniyya), Psychic (nafsāniyya)

• Simple and composite organs (basīṭa wa murakkaba)

7. Causes of Health and Disease #

• Four causes: efficient (fāʿil), material (mādda), formal (ṣūra), final (ghāya)

• Internal and external causes (sabab dākhilī / khārijī)

8. Signs (ʿAlāmāt, علامات) and Symptoms (Aʿrāḍ, أعراض) #

• Diagnosis via pulse (nabḍ), urine (bawl), stool, tongue, eyes

9. Preservation of Health (ḥifẓ al-ṣiḥḥa) #

• Regimen (tadbīr): food, drink, air, sleep, motion/rest, emotional states

• Seasonal adaptation

Book II – al-Adwiya al-Mufrada (الأدوية المفردة) – Simple Drugs #

Focus: Pharmacology and materia medica.

1. Classification of Drugs #

• By temperament (mizāj) and action

• Degrees of potency (darajāt): 1st (mild) to 4th (lethal)

2. Evaluation of Drug Action #

• Empirical and rational methods

• Qualitative testing

3. Alphabetical List of ~800 Substances #

• Botanical, mineral, and animal origin

• Each entry includes:

  • Name (Arabic, Greek, Persian if applicable)

  • Temperament

  • Actions (afʿāl, أفعال)

  • Dosage (miqdār, مقدار)

  • Uses (manāfiʿ, منافع)

Book III – al-Amrāḍ al-Juzʾiyya (الأمراض الجزئية) – Diseases by Organ #

Focus: Diseases categorized anatomically, from head to toe.

1. Head and Brain (al-Raʾs wa al-Dimāgh) #

• Headaches, epilepsy, vertigo

• Brain anatomy and disorders

2. Sensory Organs #

• Eyes (ʿayn), Ears (udhun), Nose (anf), Tongue (lisān)

• Eye diseases (cataracts, blindness), hearing loss

3. Respiratory and Thoracic Diseases #

• Throat (ḥanjara), Lungs (riʾa), Trachea (shaʿb al-raʾa)

• Coughs, asthma, tuberculosis

4. Cardiovascular System #

• Heart (qalb), Vessels (ʿurūq)

• Palpitations, syncope

5. Digestive System #

• Stomach (miʿda), Liver (kabad), Intestines (amʿāʾ)

• Ulcers, indigestion, liver diseases

6. Urogenital System #

• Kidneys (kulyā), Bladder (mathāna), Genitalia (ʿaḍw jinsī)

• Urinary retention, incontinence, infertility

7. Musculoskeletal and Limbs #

• Bones (ʿiẓām), Muscles (ʿaḍalāt), Joints (mafāṣil)

• Arthritis, gout, paralysis

8. Skin and External Conditions #

• Ulcers, boils, scabies

• Hair and nails

Book IV – al-Amrāḍ al-ʿĀmma (الأمراض العامة) – General Diseases #

Focus: Systemic and non-localized disorders.

1. Fevers (ḥummā, حمى) #

• Types: ephemeral, continuous, intermittent

• Causes and prognosis

2. Wasting and Emaciation (dhiq al-nafas, istihlāk) #

• Consumption (tuberculosis-like)

3. Swellings and Tumors (awrām, أورام) #

• Inflammatory and non-inflammatory

4. Wounds and Ulcers (jurūḥ, qarūḥ) #

• Healing processes

5. Fractures and Dislocations (kasr, khalʿ) #

• Bone setting, healing

6. Bites and Stings (ladghāt, لذغات) #

• Snake bites, scorpions, rabies

7. Poisons (samūm, سموم) #

• Types of poisons

• Antidotes (tiriyāq, ترياق)

Book V – al-Adwiya al-Murakkaba (الأدوية المركبة) – Compound Drugs and Formulas #

Focus: Medical recipes and compounded remedies.

1. Principles of Compounding #

• Harmony of ingredients (muwāzana), order of mixing

• Vehicles (e.g., honey, oil)

2. Dosage and Administration #

• Age, temperament, condition of the patient

• Forms: pills (ḥabūb), ointments (marham), syrups (sharāb), decoctions (jushā), etc.

3. Compound Categories #

• Laxatives (mus-hilāt), emetics (muqayyʾ), analgesics (musakkins)

• Tonics (muqawwiyāt), diuretics (mubawwils), aphrodisiacs (mubāhij)

4. Antidotes and Theriacs #

• Classical theriac (tiriyāq fārūq), multi-ingredient antidotes

 Summary of the Collection: #

Arabic and English Texts #