Editing Abu Bakr al-Razi (section)

====''Doubts about Galen'' ({{transliteration|ar|al-Shukūk ʿalā Jalīnūs}})====

In his book ''Doubts about Galen'',<ref>Edited and translated into French by {{harvnb|Koetschet|2019}}. An older edition is {{harvnb|Mohaghegh|1993}}.</ref> al-Razi rejects several claims made by the Greek physician, as far as the alleged superiority of the [[Greek language]] and many of his [[cosmology|cosmological]] and medical views. He links medicine with philosophy, and states that sound practice demands independent thinking. He reports that Galen's descriptions do not agree with his own clinical observations regarding the run of a fever. And in some cases he finds that his clinical experience exceeds Galen's.

He criticized Galen's theory that the body possessed four separate "[[Humorism|humors]]" whose balance is the key to health and a natural body temperature. A sure way to upset such a system was to insert a liquid with a different temperature into the body, resulting in an increase or decrease of bodily heat, which resembled the temperature of that particular fluid. Al-Razi noted that a warm drink would heat the body much higher than its natural temperature. Thus, the drink would trigger a response from the body rather than transferring only its warmth or coldness to it. (''Cf.'' I. E. Goodman)

This line of criticism could completely refute Galen's theory of humors and Aristotle's theory of the [[classical elements]] on which it was grounded. Al-Razi's alchemical experiments suggested other qualities of matter, such as "oiliness" and "sulphurousness", or [[inflammability]] and [[salinity]], which were not readily explained by the traditional fire, water, earth, and air division of elements.

Al-Razi's challenge to the current fundamentals of medical theory was quite controversial. Many accused him of ignorance and arrogance, even though he repeatedly expressed his praise and gratitude to Galen for his contributions and labours, saying:

{{blockquote|I prayed to God to direct and lead me to the truth in writing this book. It grieves me to oppose and criticize the man [[Galen]] from whose sea of knowledge I have drawn much. Indeed, he is the Master and I am the disciple. Although this reverence and appreciation will and should not prevent me from doubting, as I did, what is erroneous in his theories. I imagine and feel deeply in my heart that Galen has chosen me to undertake this task, and if he were alive, he would have congratulated me on what I am doing. I say this because Galen's aim was to seek and find the truth and bring light out of darkness. I wish indeed he were alive to read what I have published.<ref>Bashar Saad, Omar Said, ''Greco-Arab and Islamic Herbal Medicine: Traditional System, Ethics, Safety, Efficacy, and Regulatory Issues'', John Wiley & Sons, 2011. {{ISBN|9781118002261}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=-WQVF8nhKf4C&pg=PT33 page]</ref>}}