Page:The growth of medicine from the earliest times to about 1800.djvu/244



FURTHER ADVANCE OF THE ARAB RENAISSANCE DURING THE NINTH AND SUCCEEDING CENTURIES OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA

During the latter part of the eighth century the Arab Renaissance, so far at least as the science of medicine was concerned, was controlled and kept in vigorous life almost entirely by physicians who were connected with the school at Djondisabour—one might almost say, by physicians who were members of the Bakhtichou family. To this family, therefore, belongs the chief credit for the admirable results attained during this, the first stage of the Renaissance. But during the ninth century A. D. men who had not received their professional training at this famous school came to the fore and gave a fresh and a more vigorous impulse to the work than their predecessors had given. Under the Bakhtichous the translating had been well started, and in addition a few original medical treatises had been written in the Arabic language. During the period which followed, however, the translating and copying became more active than before, and, in addition, several really valuable treatises were produced by men who wrote in Arabic, and who were—if not racially Arabs—at least the adopted sons of that nation. Of these men none stands out more prominently than Honein, who, according to Le Clerc, "accomplished a marvellous amount of work of the most varied character and of a very high degree of excellence, and that too despite many obstacles. While he was not the originator of the Renaissance in the East, he took the most active part in keeping it up."

Honein, who may rightly be considered as having at least inaugurated the second stage of the Arab Renais