of gold for his travelling, expenses.
Gabriel (Jebrayl), the son of the above-named Georgios (Jorjis), was
also a celebrated physician. He enjoyed great favour with
Harun-ar-Rashid, who used to declare that he would not refuse him
anything. When, however, this Khalif fell ill at Tus, and asked Gabriel
for his opinion, the latter replied that if Harun had followed his
advice to be moderate in sexual pleasure, he would not have been
attacked by the disease. For this reply he was thrown into prison, and
his life was saved only by the chamberlain Rabi'i, who was very fond of
him. Amin, the son and successor of Rashid, followed the advice of
Gabriel more than his father did, and would not eat or drink anything
without his doctor's sanction. In A.D. 817 Gabriel cured Sehl bin
Hasan, who recommended him to Mamun; but Michael, the son-in-law of
Gabriel, was his body physician. In A.D. 825 Mamun fell sick, and, as
all the medicines of Michael were of no use, Isa, the brother of Mamun,
advised him to get himself treated by Gabriel, who had known him from
boyhood; but Abu Ishak, the other brother of Mamun, called in Yahya
bin Maseweih, and when he could do nothing, then Mamun sent for
Gabriel, who restored him to health in three days, and was handsomely
rewarded in consequence. When Mamun marched, in A.D. 828, against the
Byzantines, Gabriel fell sick and died, whereon the Khalif took
Gabriel's son with him on the campaign, he being also an intelligent
and skilled physician.
The works of Gabriel are:
(1) A treatise on food and drink, dedicated to Mamun.
(2) An introduction to logic.
(3) Extracts from medical Pandects.
(4) A book on fumigatories.
Isa bin Musa, who flourished about A.D. 833, was also one of the most
distinguished physicians of the period. He left the following works:
(1) Book on the forces of alimentary substances.
(2) A treatise for a person who has no access
to a physician.
(3) Questions concerning derivations and races.
(4) Book of dreams, indicating why medicines
should not be given to pregnant women.
(5) Book of the remedies mentioned by Hippocrates
in his treatise on bleeding and cupping.
(6) Dissertation on the use of baths.
Without giving any details about Maseweih, Yahya bin Maseweih, Honein
bin Ishak, and Kosta bin Luka, all of whom were distinguished for
medical knowledge, some fuller mention must be made of Abu Bakr
Ar-Razi (Rhases), who has be
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