And He said:
“There are no hopeless patients. There are only hopeless doctors…”
Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Abdallah ibn al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Sina, also known by the Latinized form of his name - Avicenna, was a Sogdian physician, philosopher, naturalist, poet and musician, among the most significant figures of the Islamic Golden Age. He wrote in Persian and Arabic, he also was a follower of Aristotle.
His most famous works are the philosophical and scientific encyclopedia "Book of Medicine" and the medical encyclopedia "Canon of Medicine", which became the standard medical textbook for many medieval universities and remained in use until the middle of the 17th century.
In his own words, as a young man, Avicenna had great difficulty with Aristotle's Metaphysics. He read the book forty times until the text was imprinted in his memory, but he failed to grasp the meaning.
He worked late at night, dreamed of some of the problems, and prayed in the mosque in search of enlightenment, but he was able to reach it only after reading the commentary of Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Farabi, after which he gave alms to the poor in his joy.
At the age of sixteen, Avicenna began to practice medicine, not only studying the theory, but also through gratuitous work with patients, in his own words, discovering new methods of treatment. At 18, he already has a reputation as a skilled healer and later wrote:
“...medicine is not a difficult and thorny science, like mathematics and metaphysics, so I soon made great progress; I became an excellent doctor and began to heal the sick"
Avicenna was the first to talk about the fact that regular exercise is useful for improving health, and he was also sure that a sick person dies not so much from the disease as from the fear that the disease causes in him.
Therefore, according to Avicenna, the doctor must not only heal, but also inspire confidence in the patient. He views medicine from the standpoint of philosophy and mathematics: he says that healing is addition and subtraction: subtracting everything that is harmful to a person and adding what is useful.
Avicenna lived almost 1,000 years ago, but many of his teachings are still relevant today.
Overeating
Avicenna believed that excessive consumption of food was a shortcut to disease. A constantly full stomach and intestines, in which the remains of undigested food accumulate, cause inflammation and problems with many internal organs.
He also warned of the dangers of alcohol abuse, saying it causes liver and brain problems.
Idleness and empty existence
"Doing nothing and living without a purpose makes the man sick!”
"Laziness and idleness not only breed ignorance, but are also the causes of any disease."
Food can heal and Food can kill.
Avicenna, already 1000 years ago, was aware that protein and carbohydrates should not be eaten at the same time. And he also told his patients that after heavy meals and overeating, they should organize a day without food to cleanse their intestines.
According to the great healer, most of a person's diseases arise when he indulges too much and does not care about moderation, and also leads an empty lifestyle.
Avicenna was sure that a person who provides his body with regular physical activity is less likely to get sick and will heal faster. And those who are immobilized due to laziness ruin their own health.
"A person who moves moderately and regularly does not need treatment aimed at eliminating the disease."
Avicenna says that anger, irritation and sadness literally drain the human psyche, weakening the defenses.
"Anger burns the body, sadness dries it up, apathy weakens the mind, and indifference leads to disease. When the character is balanced, health is achieved for both body and soul at the same time.''
The right sleep
A healthy person should sleep as long as it takes to fully recover. Lack of sleep, like too much sleep, negatively affects health.
“Sleeping on an empty stomach is not good; strength is weakening. It is also harmful to sleep with a full stomach, because such sleep will not be deep, but restless..."
Avicenna recommends sleeping in this way: first lie on the right side and then turn to the left. He also notes:
"If sleep begins with lying on the stomach, it helps digestion well. People who are weakened by illness usually sleep on their backs… Such people also sleep with their mouths open due to the weakness of the muscles that hold the two jaws together. "
"A Healer must have the sight of a falcon, the hands of a maiden, the wisdom of a serpent, and the heart of a lion."
"Medicine is similar to philosophy. It is both a practical and a theoretical art."
"There are three of us: you, me (the doctor) and the disease. Whose side you take - this side will win."
Shared with joy
A.A
Stob, Bulgaria