Ibn al-Nafis

Biology Arab 1213 – 1288 385 quotes

A physician who was the first to accurately describe the pulmonary circulation of blood, challenging Galen's long-held theories.

Quotes by Ibn al-Nafis

Even in error, the seeker advances toward enlightenment.

Letter to a Critic 1255

The blood, after it has been refined in the right ventricle, must needs pass to the left ventricle where the vital spirit is generated. But there is no pathway between them.

Commentary on Anatomy in Avicenna's Canon

The pulmonary artery, then, carries the blood to the lung, and the pulmonary vein carries the blood from the lung to the left ventricle.

Commentary on Anatomy in Avicenna's Canon

There are no visible pores in the septum separating the two ventricles, and therefore the blood cannot pass through them.

Commentary on Anatomy in Avicenna's Canon

The blood, after it has been refined in the right ventricle, must needs pass to the left ventricle where the vital spirit is generated. But there is no pathway between them; for the septum between them is solid and has no pores, as some have imagined.

Commentary on Anatomy in Avicenna's Canon

The blood, after it has been refined in the right ventricle, must needs pass to the left ventricle where the vital spirit is generated. But there is no pathway between them; for the septum between them is solid and has no pores, as some have imagined. The blood, therefore, must needs pass from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery, and from thence to the lungs, where it is diffused through the substance of the lungs, and then passes into the pulmonary vein to reach the left ventricle.

Commentary on Anatomy in Avicenna's Canon

The heart has two ventricles, and between them there is no passage.

Commentary on Anatomy in Avicenna's Canon

The blood is refined in the right ventricle, and then it must go to the left ventricle to generate the vital spirit.

Commentary on Anatomy in Avicenna's Canon

The pulmonary artery carries the blood from the right ventricle to the lungs, and the pulmonary vein carries it from the lungs to the left ventricle.

Commentary on Anatomy in Avicenna's Canon

The lung has a spongy texture to allow the blood to pass through it.

Commentary on Anatomy in Avicenna's Canon

The air passes from the trachea to the lungs, and from the lungs to the left ventricle.

Commentary on Anatomy in Avicenna's Canon

The heart is the source of all movement and life.

The Comprehensive Book on Medicine

The brain is the seat of sensation and voluntary movement.

The Comprehensive Book on Medicine

The liver is the organ of nutrition and blood formation.

The Comprehensive Book on Medicine

The purpose of the arteries is to carry the vital spirit and blood to all parts of the body.

The Comprehensive Book on Medicine

The purpose of the veins is to carry the blood to the heart.

The Comprehensive Book on Medicine

The body is a complex machine, and each part has its specific function.

The Comprehensive Book on Medicine

Observation and experimentation are essential for understanding the human body.

The Comprehensive Book on Medicine

The physician must rely on his own observations and not blindly follow the ancients.

The Comprehensive Book on Medicine

The knowledge of anatomy is fundamental to the practice of medicine.

The Comprehensive Book on Medicine