From Anesthetic Sponge to Nonsinking Skull Perforator, Unitary Work Neurosurgery in the Ancient Arabic and Islamic World

During the Middle Ages, the work of Middle Eastern physicians such as Avicenna, Albucasis, and Rhazes was of paramount importance in guarding the knowledge that had been accumulated throughout history, particularly the contributions of Greek and Roman scholars, and it is well known that the Arabic versions of all of the works by Hippocrates and Galen by Islamic and Arabic scholars are the only copies that have survived until now. In addition to preserving this wealth of knowledge, these Middle Eastern scholars made significant contributions of their own to both medicine and neurosurgery. Many points regarding ancient Arabic and Islamic science need to be discussed and clarified, such as cadaver dissections, anatomic studies, neurosurgical practice and instruments, Arabic translations of Hippocratic and other works, and the influence of the Islamic civilization on Western civilization, especially the Renaissance.