Islamic Medical and Scientific Tradition.

• Author: Varisco, Daniel Martin
• Position: Book review

Islamic Medical and Scientific Tradition. Edited by PETER E. PORMANN. Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies. 4 vols. London: ROUTLEDGE, 2011. Pp. xviii + 380 (vol. 1), ix + 427 (vol. 2), viii + 428 (vol. 3), viii + 240 (vol. 4). $1.295.

There was a time when scholars studying the history of the sciences in Islamic contexts had no choice but to spend numerous hours in university libraries or special manuscript collections. The more esoteric the topic, such as al-Kindi on optics or Ibn al-Haytham on plane trigonometry, the less likely a published study would be found in major journals dealing with Islam. Anthologies have been available on a variety of Islamic subjects, but rarely on the sciences. Now Peter Pormann has assembled a massive four-volume compilation of fifty-three previously published articles, of which thirty-six have appeared in the last decade. Three of the articles are published for the first time in English. This effort draws from journals, edited volumes, and miscellaneous monograph series that only a few libraries would have on their shelves. An anthology of this kind would be an excellent reference for a library, even at the high cost for all four volumes. Individual scholars would greatly benefit as well, but few will be able to afford the price.

There are six specific parts to the overall text, entitled (1) "The Theoretical Framework: The Sciences in Islamic Philosophy and Theology" (four articles); (2) "The Life Sciences: Biology, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine" (twenty-six articles); (3) "The Physical Sciences: Physics, Astronomy, Geodesy" (seven articles); (4) "The Occult Sciences: Astrology, Alchemy, Geomancy" (eight articles); (5) "The Mathematical Sciences: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Optics" (four articles); and (6) "The Practical Sciences: Agriculture, Cartography, Engineering" (four articles). The general objective of the collection is to provide access to articles that "illustrate the intellectual curiosity and theoretical vigour with which Arabs and non-Arabs living in the medieval Muslim world pursued scientific endeavors" (vol. 1, p. 1). Rather than attempting to provide a comprehensive overview, Pormann has chosen to provide studies that "sample some of the delights and delicacies" (vol. 1, p. 2) and highlight debates in recent scholarship.

Half of the articles fall in part two, which is not surprising, given Pormann's expertise in Islamic medicine. The editor recognizes this personal bias in the topics...