To the Editor,
The insightful article Lessons from History: Human Anatomy, from the Origin to the Renaissance (Malomo et al., 2006) provides a valuable overview of the development of Anatomy from its origins to the Renaissance, highlighting the contributions of key figures such as Hippocrates, Galen, and Vesalius. However, it notably omits the significant influence of Arab and Persian medicine on this evolution, particularly the contributions of Rhazes (Al-Razi, 865–925 CE). He was a pioneer in the systematization of anatomical knowledge and the development of scientific methodologies in Medicine (Azizi, 2007; Shoja & Tubbs, 2007; Zarrintan et al., 2018). This letter seeks to highlight his essential contributions to Morphological Sciences.
Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi, widely known in the West as Rhazes, was born in 865 CE in Rayy, near present-day Tehran, Iran. Initially, he pursued music— he was fond of singing and playing the flute— but around the age of 30, he developed an interest in alchemy (Cortés et al., 2018; Cortés, 2019). Later, he turned to medicine, a discipline in which he excelled, eventually becoming the Chief Director of the leading hospital in Baghdad, Iraq (Azizi, 2007). A polymath, Rhazes wrote extensively on a wide range of subjects, including medicine, alchemy, philosophy, theology, astronomy, and mathematics (Cortés et al., 2018; Cortés, 2019; Afshar & Tabrizi, 2020).
Rhazes is widely regarded as one of the most distinguished physicians of the Middle Ages. His seminal work, Kitab al-Hawi (Liber Continens) (Razi, 1529), not only synthesized Greco-Roman medical teachings but also included his own clinical observations regarding human physiology and disease (Sadi, 1935; Afshar & Tabrizi, 2020). His emphasis on pathological anatomy, his
advocacy for empirical experimentation, and his differentiation between tendons, ligaments, and nerves illustrate his substantial contributions to Morphological Sciences, predating the European Renaissance (Ashtiyani et al., 2011). His medical expertise was not limited to theoretical knowledge. He was the first to differentiate smallpox from measles and other exanthematous diseases (Castiglioni, 2019). He also pioneered the use of animal gut for sutures and introduced various new remedies, such as mercurial ointments (Castiglioni, 2019). Some of his key contributions to the study of anatomo-physiological systems are summarized below (Table I).
Additionally, Rhazes was a pioneer in medical education, advocating for supervised clinical practice—a model strongly resembling contemporary medical training (Sadi, 1935). His approach, rooted in empirical observation and the rejection of erroneous teachings, such as certain flawed doctrines of Galen, positions him as a forerunner of the scientific method in medicine (Zarrintan et al., 2018).
Finally, Rhazes’ cultural legacy—often referred to as the ‘Arab Galen’—is immense and undoubtedly shaped a pivotal era in the history of Classical Medicine and the broader development of health sciences (Cortés et al., 2018; Castiglioni, 2019; Cortés, 2019). Incorporating the contributions of Arab and Persian medicine, particularly those of Rhazes, would significantly enhance the historical perspective presented in the article by Malomo et al. (2006). Rhazes’ legacy in anatomical studies and clinical medicine is undeniable and merits recognition in the evolution of morphological knowledge that laid the foundations of modern medical science.
