Chinese and Medieval Medicine

Abstract

Three Divine Doctors of Jian An and three medieval physicians are highlighted in this section looking at origins of the art of caring as lived and taught by great physicians in the Dark Ages. Much of what we know about the Chinese physicians in particular may be mythical, yet they exemplify the value each placed on the care of the patient. Care for the poor and a consideration of the community as a whole was championed by Dong Feng. Following a common theme in this book, each physician leader looked back at the collective works and influences of those before them. Rhazes built on the teachings of Imhotep and Hippocrates advocating for greater usage of the powers of observation. Pursuit of the truth in medicine was an important legacy of Rhazes as was his admonition to have humility about the limits of our art. Another Persian physician, Avicenna, was a champion of the power of observation, evidence-based medicine, clinical trials, and the care of the poor. Avicenna recognized that suffering may be due to emotional disorders as well as physical disorders. The third medieval physician discussed in this chapter was not Islamic as were Rhazem and Avicenna, but a Jewish leader, for whom medicine was a vocation. Moses Maimonides is known by those of the Judaic religion more for his theological and philosophical contributions than what he added to the field of medicine. The life he lived and the Oath and Physicians Prayer of Maimonides exemplify the art of medicine.