Introduction

In pre-Islamic times the Arabian Peninsula was plagued by a wide range of diseases including malaria, smallpox, leprosy and tuberculosis. There were also few effective treatments available. The Arab conquests in Mesopotamia, Persia and North Africa brought them into contact with Hellenistic medicine. Historian Christians and Persian doctors practicing the Greek tradition of medicine became common in the greater Islamic Empire. This marked a huge improvement in the available medical care.