The forgotten history of pre-modern epidemiology: contribution of Ibn An-Nafis in the Islamic golden era.

Hippocrates (around 460−370 BCE) was a Greek physician and philosopher who is considered the father of modern medicine (Figure 1). The history of epidemiology typically starts with Hippocrates in about 400 BCE but then more than 2000 years are skipped until the birth of modern epidemiology in the 17th century CE with the work of John Graunt, followed by William Farr and John Snow in the 19th century (1). However, between the time of Hippocrates and the 17th century, the Islamic golden age of science occurred (8th−16th century CE) (2). This work attempts to fill this gap of 2000 years by tracing the contributions of Muslim scientists to the field of epidemiology. The epidemiological concepts described by Hippocrates are highlighted followed by a discussion of how his work influenced the work of Muslim scientists, in particular Ibn AnNafis, who preserved and advanced the field until the European Renaissance.