is the foundation of our
knowledge of the drug-giving of his time.

Some idea of the popularity and influence of Avicenna, five centuries
after his time, can be readily derived from the number of commentaries
on him issued during the Renaissance period by the most distinguished
medical scholars and writers of that time. Hyrtl, in his "Das Arabische
und Hebraeische in der Anatomie," quotes some of them,--Bartholomaeus de
Varignana, Gentilis de Fulgineis, Jacobus de Partibus, Didacus Lopez,
Jacobus de Forlivio, Ugo Senesis, Dinus de Garbo, Matthaeus de Gradibus,
Nicolaus Leonicenus, Thaddaeus Florentinus, Galeatus de Sancta Sophia. A
more complete list, with the titles of the books, may be found in
Haller's "Bibliotheca Anatomica." For over three centuries after the
foundation of medical schools in Europe (and even after Mondino's book
had been widely distributed), Avicenna was still in the hands of all
those who had an enthusiasm for medical science.

AVENZOAR

Another of the distinguished Arabian physicians was Avenzoar--the
transformation of his Arabic family name, Ibn-Zohr. He was probably born
in Penaflor, not far from Seville. He died in Seville in 1162 at the
age, it is said, of ninety-two years. He was the son of a physician
descended from a family of scholars, jurists, physicians, and officials.
He received the best education of the time not only in internal
medicine, but in all the specialties, and must be counted among the
greatest of the Spanish Arabian physicians. He was the teacher of
Averroes, who always speaks of him with great respect. He is interesting
as probably being the first to suggest nutrition _per rectum_. A few
words of his description show how well he knew the technique. His
apparatus for the purpose consisted of the bladder of a goat or some
similar animal structure, with a silver canula fastened into its neck,
to be used about as we use a fountain syringe. Having first carefully
washed out the rectum with cleansing and purifying clysters, he injected
the nutriment--eggs, milk, and gruels--into the gut. His idea was that
the intestine would take this, and, as he said, suck it up, carrying it
back to the stomach, where it would be digested. He was sure that he had
seen his patients benefited by it.

Some light on his studies of cases that would require such treatment may
be obtained from what he has to say about the handling of a case of
stricture of the esophagus. He says that this begi