Abstract
Europe in the Middle Ages had descended into a dark period, and none more so than in the field of medicine. The rich heritage of the pagan Greeks had largely been ignored or forgotten by medieval Europe, and instead it was the early Arabist world that embraced and developed the Hellenistic medical teachings, emerging not only as guardians of the classical learning still existent, but also as pioneers and innovators, restricted only by the development in the associated fields. The Kahhal (), or Oculist or Eye Specialist, had a privileged place in royal households, especially during the Abbasid period, in contrast to the time of Galen, whose writings referred to ophthalmologists in a rather derogatory manner. This elevated standing in the medical profession allowed Arabist scholars to cultivate remarkably erudite techniques and exceptional texts, which were used until very recently.
Keywords
Publication details
- DOI
- 10.4103/0974-620x.99367
- Journal
- Oman Journal of Ophthalmology, 5(2), 75-78
- Publisher
- Medknow Publications
- Open access
- Gold open access
Cite this article
APA 7
Haq, I., & Khatib, H. A. (2012). Light through the dark ages: The Arabist contribution to Western ophthalmology. Oman Journal of Ophthalmology, 5(2), 75-78. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-620x.99367
MLA 9
Haq, Imran, and Humayun A Khatib. "Light through the dark ages: The Arabist contribution to Western ophthalmology." Oman Journal of Ophthalmology, vol. 5, no. 2, 2012, pp. 75-78. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-620x.99367.
Chicago (author–date)
Haq, Imran, and Humayun A Khatib. 2012. "Light through the dark ages: The Arabist contribution to Western ophthalmology." Oman Journal of Ophthalmology 5 (2): 75-78. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-620x.99367.
Harvard
Haq, I. and Khatib, H. A. (2012) 'Light through the dark ages: The Arabist contribution to Western ophthalmology', Oman Journal of Ophthalmology, 5(2), pp. 75-78. doi:10.4103/0974-620x.99367.
Vancouver
Haq I, Khatib HA. Light through the dark ages: The Arabist contribution to Western ophthalmology. Oman Journal of Ophthalmology. 2012;5(2):75-78. doi:10.4103/0974-620x.99367
IEEE
I. Haq, and H. A. Khatib, "Light through the dark ages: The Arabist contribution to Western ophthalmology," Oman Journal of Ophthalmology, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 75-78, 2012, doi: 10.4103/0974-620x.99367.