Ibn Sina and the clinical trial.
Approximately 1000 years ago, a physician by the name of Ibn Sina, known in the West as "Avicenna," wrote 7 conditions for "The recognition of the strengths of the characteristics of medicines through experimentation." Ibn Sina proposed applying logic to the testing of drugs, and in doing so, he wrote the earliest known treatise related to clinical trials. This article presents an overview and the historical context of Ibn Sina's life and work. In addition, the authors provide a translation of his treatise on drug testing and discuss its similarity to modern concepts of pharmacology and clinical trials.
University of Maryland School of Medicine and Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. msajadi@ihv.umaryland.edu
Mohammad M
MM
Sajadi
Davood
D
Mansouri
Mohamad-Reza M
MR
Sajadi
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000266:history*; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000266:history; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D019071:Persia; D012107:Research Design; D013782:Textbooks as Topic / Q000266:history