risms are very practical. While the
expressions just quoted with regard to Galen and Aristotle might seem to
indicate that Rhazes was absolutely wedded to authority, there is
another well-known maxim of his which shows how much he thought of the
value of experience and observation. "Truth in medicine," he said, "is a
goal which cannot be absolutely reached, and the art of healing, as it
is described in books, is far beneath the practical experience of a
skilful, thoughtful physician." Some of his other medical aphorisms are
worth noting. "At the beginning of a disease choose such remedies as
will not lessen the patient's strength." "When you can heal by diet,
prescribe no other remedy, and, where simple remedies suffice, do not
take complicated ones."

Rhazes knew well the value of the influence of mind over body even in
serious organic disease, and even though death seemed impending. One of
his aphorisms is: "Physicians ought to console their patients even if
the signs of impending death seem to be present. For the bodies of men
are dependent on their spirits." He considered that the most valuable
thing for the physician to do was to increase the patient's natural
vitality. Hence his advice: "In treating a patient, let your first
thought be to strengthen his natural vitality. If you strengthen that,
you remove ever so many ills without more ado. If you weaken it,
however, by the remedies that you use you always work harm." The simpler
the means by which the patient's cure can be brought about, the better
in his opinion. He insists again and again on diet rather than
artificial remedies. "It is good for the physician that he should be
able to cure disease by means of diet, if possible, rather than by means
of medicine." Another of his aphorisms seems worth while quoting: "The
patient who consults a great many physicians is likely to have a very
confused state of mind."

Some idea of Rhazes' strenuous activity as a writer on medical subjects
may be obtained from the fact that thirty-six of his works are still
extant, and there are nearly two hundred others of which only the
titles have been preserved. Some of these are doubtless the works of
pupils and students of succeeding generations, published under his name
to attract attention. His principal work is "Continens," or
"Comprehensor," which owes its title to the fact that it was meant to
contain the whole practice of medicine and surgery. It includes
references to th