This concise definition outlines the dual purpose of medicine according to Ibn Sina. It emphasizes both proactive prevention (preserving health) and reactive treatment (curing disease), encapsulating a holistic approach to patient care.
Quote by Ibn Sina: “Medicine is the art of preserving health and curing disease in the body.”
Medicine is the art of preserving health and curing disease in the body.
Insight
Historical Context
His seminal medical encyclopedia, *The Canon of Medicine*, standardized medical knowledge for centuries across Europe and the Islamic world, based on a comprehensive understanding of human physiology and therapy.
About the Author
Persian polymath born in 980 CE in Bukhara, in present-day Uzbekistan, who made foundational contributions to medicine, philosophy, astronomy, and mathematics. His Canon of Medicine was used as a standard medical textbook in Europe and the Islamic world for over six centuries.
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