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162 THE MIDDLE AGES.
And thus it came about, that at a time when the rest
of Europe was sunk in ignorance, superstition, and
barbarism, on the Spanish peninsula an intellectual life
was unfolding itself, rich and fruitful in every path of
mental activity. In the twelfth century Spain possessed 70
public libraries and 17 teaching institutions of a higher
class. Cordova produced 150 authors, Almeria 52, Murcia
61, Malaga 53* The performances of the Arabs in mathematicsf
and physics,J especially in mechanics and optics,
and again in chemistry,§ astronomy|| and geography!
are well known. They were the first to introduce
measurement and experiment into the investigation of
Nature. The excellent work of ALHAZEN on refraction
prepared the way for a rational comprehension of the
physiology of vision, and GEBER was the founder of
scientific chemistry.**
MEDICAL SCIENCE AND MEDICAL TEACHING
AMONG THE ARABS.
ATTENTION and care were even in the earliest periods of
Islam devoted to medicine, as ABULFARAG observes.ft And
yet the Arabs made but little progress in this domain and no
discoveries of primary importance. This is owing to the
absence, in their nation, of an independent development
of medical or indeed of any other science. Hence sprang
also that unlimited belief in authority which both deterred
them from testing the accuracy of scientific results
* MICH. CASIRI : Bibl. Arab. Hisp. Escur., Madrid 1760, T. ii, p. 71.
f M. CANTOR: Geschichte der Mathematik, Leipzig 1880, i, S. 593 et seq.
X J. C. POGGENDORFF: Geschichte der Physik, Leipzig 1879, S. 56 et seq. -
§ H. KOPP: Geschichte der Chemie, Braunschweig 1843, i, S. 51 et seq.
|| W. WHKWELL: History of the Inductive Sciences. New Edition. London
1847. Vo1 - *< P- 2 3*> et 5f -7-
% O. PESCHEL: Geschichte der Erdkunde, Miinchen 1877. S. \04 et. seq.
** H. KOPP: Beitrage zur Geschichte der Chemie, Braunschweig, 1875, iii, S.
13 et seq,
tt ABULFARAG op. cit. p. 160.—Cf. A. SPRENGER: De origin, med. arab.,
Leyden 1840, p. 6.