CLINICAL STORIES AND MEDICAL HISTORIES RECORDED BY RHAZES (865-925), THE IRANIAN - ISLAMIC PHYSICIAN IN THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD

Abstract

Recording medical histories of patients is not a new issue in clinical medicine. However, the method practiced by the Iranian chemist physician, Rhazes, in the ninth century A.D is incredible. Rhazes has written several textbooks in clinical medicine, but a particular one, “Clinical Stories and Medical Histories” (Qesas va hekayat al-marazi), is a classical case book describing precise clinical courses of thirty three patients. Each chapter includes a title, the name and demographic data about a patient, his/her history of present illness, past medical and family history, findings of physical exam, impression and interventions by the physician, including pharmacological or surgical management. The reasons for each decision made by Rhazes as well as the outcomes are clearly discussed. This book review will shed light on the unknown medical practice methods in Islamic-Iranian golden era.