Science Literacy @ McGill

Exhibits all occur in the past.

Exhibit: The Rise & Influence of Medicine in the Islamic World

The practice of medicine in what is now the Islamic World predates the revelation of Islam: therapeutic practices before Islam relied heavily on Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Persian, Indian, and Greek medical knowledge. During the early and medieval periods of the Islamic era, physicians in the region achieved advancements and innovations that have had a lasting and significant impact on the evolution of medical practices around the world.

This exhibition aims to show how medical knowledge first came to the Islamic World (pre-Islam until the 10^th cent. AD/4^th cent. AH), then circulated and developed within the region (between the 11^th and 16^th cent. AD/5^th-10^th cent. AH), before being exported to Europe (during the 17^th and 18^th centuries. AD/11^th-12^th cent. AH). Visitors will discover the translations of foreign medical texts (from Greek, Sanskrit, Syriac, etc.) into Arabic and Persian eventually led to the need to codify such a large body of knowledge for the purpose of dissemination. Visitors will also gain an appreciation for the wealth and depth of knowledge produced by physicians who practiced in Islamic lands, especially in fields like ophthalmology, pharmacology and surgery. Finally, visitors will understand the lasting and significant impact that Islamic medical knowledge has had on modern Western medicine. Through the display of original manuscripts, books, and antique artefacts from the Islamic Studies Library (ISL), the Osler Library of the History of Medicine, and Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC), The rise and influence of Medicine in the Islamic World will take visitors on a fascinating journey into the world of Islamic medicine.

Comprising two complementary displays, one at the Islamic Studies Library and other at the Osler Library. The exhibition will be accessible during each respective library’s opening hours from September 11 to December 22, 2023.