ABSTRACT

Objective:

Presenting and evaluating the chapters about “Geriatrics” in Canon of Medicine by Avi-cenna.

Material and Method:

The chapters related to geriatrics of Canon were evaluated and translated to contemporary Turkish depending on the copy of Canon which was translated to Turkish by Tokatlı Mustafa Efendi. This text was compared with the different Turkish translation of Canon translated by Kahya and two English translations of Canon translated by Gruner and Shah. For conflicted parts the Arabic original version of Canon was also compared and evaluated. The chapters about geriatrics were included in first book of Canon.

Results:

The chapters of Avicenna’s Canon concerning prevention of health of old people includes food and beverage of the old, improving the digestion, defecation habits and dealing with the prob-lems about defecation, wines for the old, massage and exercise for the old. Avicenna did not concern prevention from aging and detainment of aging. His main aim is to provide and share methods for dealing with the problems occuring during the aging process.

Conclusion:

Avicenna is a pioneer physician in Islamic Medicine dealing with problems occuring during aging and improving the quality of the old. After investigation of Avicenna’s works, these can be evaluated as a perpetuation of Greco-Roman school.