A book about sight and ophthalmology in Arab history

Damascus, (ST) – Arabs exceeded in the wisdom, medicine and optical sciences. They made unprecedented contributions in ophthalmological sciences. The books of Ibn Al-Haytham, Ibn Rushd, Al-Razi and others are still amongst the most important references in this medical specialization.

The book, “The Evolution of the Theory of Sight in Arab Civilization,” by Dr. Buthaina Jalakhi, explores the role of Arabs in that science, especially their interest in ophthalmology, relying on the book al-Manazer for the Greek Euclid and its effect on Arab philosophical and theoretical thought in that era of Arab civilization and enlightenment.

The author divides the book into two chapters. The first includes the theory of sight for the ancient Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Ptolemy and Galenos.

The second chapter of the book includes theories of sight for Arab and Muslim scholars and its refutation of the theory that photoreceptors that enter the eye, which led to the adoption of Euclid’s theory and other Arab Muslims doctors who studied and dissected the eye.

The book issued by the Syrian General Book Authority is composed of 353 pages.

Raghda Sawas