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About El-Hakim
Presentation of Dr. Ahmed Al-Safi's book: El-Hakim (The Doctor), for doctors with a deeper understanding of their profession, their community’s cultures, and greater awareness of their environment and the conditions of their people.
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Presentation of Dr. Ahmed Al-Safi's book: El-Hakim (The Doctor), for doctors with a deeper understanding of their profession, their community’s cultures, and greater awareness of their environment and the conditions of their people. By: Professor Fadwa Abd-El Rahman Ali Taha
The book "El-Hakim" was published in 2013 by Sudan Currency Printing Company Limited, in 594 pages. The book, which took more than four decades to complete, takes you on an exciting historical journey as the author exhibits patience and diligence in his writing; the qualities essential for serious academic researchers. The book is introduced by Professor Abd-Allah Ali Ibrahim with a preface titled “Illness as Treatment and Culture.”
The book includes a preface, an introduction, and nine chapters:
- The Health of Sudan through the Centuries
- The convention Between the Doctor, the Patient, and the Community
- Concepts of Health and Illness
- Causes of Illness and Injury
- Means of Diagnosing Illness and Injury
- Healers, Treatment, Methods, and Prevention
- Remedies and Traditional (Folk) Practices
- The Harvest of Years
- Harmful Medical Actions and Responsible Medicine
The book summary includes a description of its contents and appendices listing the names of Sudanese months/calendar, Sudanese medical informal terms (colloquialisms) and their English equivalents, a glossary of important plants used in traditional medicine, modern drugs with plant origins, foreign doctors who served in Sudan, and the most important health laws in Sudan.
The author begins the book with an engaging discussion about himself, including experiences with customs, traditions, and traditional medicine during his childhood and youth. In the introduction, he discusses types and models of medicine, including biomedical, holistic, and traditional medicine. This first chapter is dedicated to the health of Sudan through the centuries, highlighting what was found in the writings of early travelers, geographers, and explorers, as well as in biographies and writings of some religious leaders, historians, doctors, and members of the Turkish, Egyptian, and English colonial armies, and anthropologists, along with local traditional medicine texts and manuscripts. He presents examples from the writings of travelers and scholars regarding medicine and health, such as John Lewis Burckhard, who described the health and diseases of Sudan, and George Hoskins, the English archaeologist who visited Sudan in 1833.
The author includes extracts from historical books, such as Naoum Shogair's "Geography and History of Sudan," which the author describes as an indispensable source for researchers in the field of Sudanese health in the 19th century..
Chapter two is dedicated to the understanding between the doctor, the patient, and the community, where the author discusses the ethics of the profession, stating that medical ethics is a practical science and a branch of moral philosophy, a branch of medical science, and an essential part of good medical practice. The medical profession is the only profession that has had, since the dawn of history and the beginning of human civilization, a code of ethics for practice which practitioners are committed to before they are allowed to approach patients. This is known as the Hippocratic Oath and emphasizes the necessity of the physician's humanity and the avoidance of the desire for fame.
Chapter three discusses concepts of health and illness, addressing medicine in the minds of the public through language and the concept of illness through popular thought, ritual, and symbols that the physician must be familiar with, as well as how rituals occupy an important space in the constitution of any society.
Chapter four outlines the causes of illness and injury and their connection to environmental factors and people's habits. It discusses the significance of solar eclipses among people, as well as supernatural forces, jinn, demons, zar, its origins, magic, and the evil eye.
Chapter five is dedicated to methods of diagnosing illness and injury, clarifying the difference between modern medical diagnoses which rely on evidence- based methods, and that of the general public who often depend on invoking supernatural forces for assistance in diagnosis. The author included examples of the reading of coffee cups, sand lines, dreams revelations(Ruaya), prayer for guidance, dream interpretation, and astrology.
Chapter Six: Healers, Treatment Methods, and Prevention, emphasizes the list of healers involved with people's health as extensive, highlighting that each ethnic group in Sudan has its own doctor or wise person. Sudanese people have recognized a large number of skilled traditional healers whose help they have sought, such as the fogara, the fakis, the sheikhs (religious leaders), and (the saints). This chapter includes examples of various forms of treatment, such as ruqyah (religious spiritual healing), incense, and herbal remedies. The author also underlined the role of the housewife as a health and social assistant who efficiently manages most family affairs as well as the further roles women played within the family.
Chapter Seven: Traditional Treatments and Practices discusses folk surgery and its risks. This includes exampled of female circumcision in its various forms, cupping, tattooing, bloodletting, and traditional prosthetics. The chapter also references Ali Wad Giyama, a traditional human and veterinary doctor and a fortune teller who practiced wound treatment, anesthesia, pregnancy and delivery. Chapter seven also includes traditional medicine, and folk pharmacy that comprised of various recipes used by people to treat illnesses. It also addresses food and misconceptions that impacted people's health, especially children.
In chapter eight, titled “Harvest of Years,” the author discusses the journey of Sudanese people in caring for their health during the second half of the twentieth century, pointing to Sudan’s failure since independence to implement a comprehensive and sustainable development plan that meets human needs to improve the people’s health.
This chapter shows that despite the increase in doctors and medical staff, the number of medical practitioners has not been very beneficial because of high rates of their emigration abroad, and those who remained in the country preferred the private sector. The chapter criticizes the government's spending policy on health, which places health at the bottom of its priorities, which the author contends, arguing the necessity of raising it to the top of the priorities because humans are the real asset.
Chapter eight also discusses the scarcity of medical literature that researchers can refer to regarding the history of medicine and the heritage of Sudan, noting that Sudanese scholars, and doctors in particular, are reluctant to document and record their work and the history of medicine in Sudan which results in a lack of historical, social medical studies. He also notes that teaching in most medical colleges remains disconnected from the practice of medicine in the long history of Sudan and its medical heritage. One reason for this weakness is the scarcity of documented material that assists both teachers and students. The author warns of the prevailing lack of documentation in Sudan and the neglect of documentation resources, taking as example the deterioration of the National Health Laboratory library and the scattering of its books and journals which began to be collected in 1902, as well as the demolition of the photographic museum in 1963-1964, which was opened in 1944. The author emphasizes the necessity of preserving professional records and documenting its heritage.
Chapter nine discusses harmful medical actions in comparison to wise medical practice. The author explains the types of harmful medical actions; what constitutes a harmful medical action, and the likelihood of such actions occurring. Harmful medical actions are seen as the causes of signs and symptoms of the health system's deterioration, indicating defects and gaps in the entire health system. The author suggests that reforming the health system requires an integrated and interconnected effort, qualified leadership at all levels, and advanced awareness of culture. As the author states, Sudan will not be able to diminish the occurrence of harmful medical actions without adopting and following the approach of wise medical practice.
The book emphasizes the connection between the humanities and applied sciences, making it relevant for all medical service providers and students of the humanities, particularly sociology and folklore. It refers to what the scholar Tijani Al-Mahi highlighted regarding the importance of studying the history of medicine, affirming that the humanities play a significant role in understanding health and disease. The knowledge provided by the humanities connects the doctor to the patient and links medical practice to Sudan's social history spanning centuries, forefronting its medical and health heritage. It also connects biological medicine and its sciences to their historical roots and streams. The author does not want medical education in colleges to remain disconnected from the historical context of Sudan or its medical and health heritage, nor from the historical and social roots of its sciences.
The author’s contribution is not limited to this book, he initiated and participated in studies on traditional medicine. In 1982, the Institute for Research in Traditional Medicine at the National Research Council was established through his initiative, aiming to study medical heritage with a scientifically oriented methodology. In recognition and appreciation of this effort, the World Health Organization designated it as a collaborating center in 1984 under the name WHO Collaborating Center for Research in Traditional Medicine. In 2004, he also founded the
Sudanese Foundation for Medical Heritage as a civil organization concerned
with research on medical systems, the history of medicine, preserving health heritage, and monitoring the development of medical services in Sudan. His interest stems from a fact he highlighted in his book: that traditional medicine is widely prevalent in developing countries, including Sudan, due to the high costs of treatment in hospitals and that there is a need to organize the work of traditional practitioners. Ahmed's concern and interest continued as he proposed a documentation project in 2005 called "The Health Trio in Sudan," which includes three parts: the history of medicine and the biographies of pioneers in Sudan, an encyclopedia of Sudanese doctors, and a bibliography of Sudanese medical studies in the twentieth century.
What stands out in this book is the wealth of material upon which it is based. Over the past four decades during which the book was written, Ahmed visited most of the traditional healing centers in Sudan and reviewed all available literature, whether auditory, written, or visual. A total of 35 pages have been dedicated to the sources and references used in the book. The author has precisely documented every piece of information included.
The title of the book, "The Wise Man," was chosen with great care. The term, which the author suggests likely originated from the Egyptians during the era of Turko-Egyptian rule, holds a particular significance. The term was not only applied to graduated physicians, but also to most who engage in healing. This name evokes childhood memories for me, reminding me of "Hassan the Wise," as the medical assistant Hassan was known, who came to treat people from the far north in Nawa to Arbaij in El-Jazeera region. I recall childhood songs: “I am a wise man healing people from fever and headaches”. The book resonates deeply with concepts of health, emphasizing that “whoever swears by health lacks nothing,” and due to its importance, people have tried everything possible for healing, which is explained upon in the book.
The book “El-Hakim” which the author humbly describes as an introduction to the social history of medicine and health in Sudan is encyclopedic and comprehensive in its approach. It represents the culmination of immense and elaborated effort. Congratulations to Dr. Ahmed El-Safi on this immense achievement that has enriched the Sudanese library with a much needed academic reference.
Cover picture: Cover of Dr. Ahmed Al-Safi's digital books © Dr. Ahmed Al-Safi, books can be purchased on Amazon
Presentation of Dr. Ahmed Al-Safi's book: El-Hakim (The Doctor), for doctors with a deeper understanding of their profession, their community’s cultures, and greater awareness of their environment and the conditions of their people. By: Professor Fadwa Abd-El Rahman Ali Taha
The book "El-Hakim" was published in 2013 by Sudan Currency Printing Company Limited, in 594 pages. The book, which took more than four decades to complete, takes you on an exciting historical journey as the author exhibits patience and diligence in his writing; the qualities essential for serious academic researchers. The book is introduced by Professor Abd-Allah Ali Ibrahim with a preface titled “Illness as Treatment and Culture.”
The book includes a preface, an introduction, and nine chapters:
- The Health of Sudan through the Centuries
- The convention Between the Doctor, the Patient, and the Community
- Concepts of Health and Illness
- Causes of Illness and Injury
- Means of Diagnosing Illness and Injury
- Healers, Treatment, Methods, and Prevention
- Remedies and Traditional (Folk) Practices
- The Harvest of Years
- Harmful Medical Actions and Responsible Medicine
The book summary includes a description of its contents and appendices listing the names of Sudanese months/calendar, Sudanese medical informal terms (colloquialisms) and their English equivalents, a glossary of important plants used in traditional medicine, modern drugs with plant origins, foreign doctors who served in Sudan, and the most important health laws in Sudan.
The author begins the book with an engaging discussion about himself, including experiences with customs, traditions, and traditional medicine during his childhood and youth. In the introduction, he discusses types and models of medicine, including biomedical, holistic, and traditional medicine. This first chapter is dedicated to the health of Sudan through the centuries, highlighting what was found in the writings of early travelers, geographers, and explorers, as well as in biographies and writings of some religious leaders, historians, doctors, and members of the Turkish, Egyptian, and English colonial armies, and anthropologists, along with local traditional medicine texts and manuscripts. He presents examples from the writings of travelers and scholars regarding medicine and health, such as John Lewis Burckhard, who described the health and diseases of Sudan, and George Hoskins, the English archaeologist who visited Sudan in 1833.
The author includes extracts from historical books, such as Naoum Shogair's "Geography and History of Sudan," which the author describes as an indispensable source for researchers in the field of Sudanese health in the 19th century..
Chapter two is dedicated to the understanding between the doctor, the patient, and the community, where the author discusses the ethics of the profession, stating that medical ethics is a practical science and a branch of moral philosophy, a branch of medical science, and an essential part of good medical practice. The medical profession is the only profession that has had, since the dawn of history and the beginning of human civilization, a code of ethics for practice which practitioners are committed to before they are allowed to approach patients. This is known as the Hippocratic Oath and emphasizes the necessity of the physician's humanity and the avoidance of the desire for fame.
Chapter three discusses concepts of health and illness, addressing medicine in the minds of the public through language and the concept of illness through popular thought, ritual, and symbols that the physician must be familiar with, as well as how rituals occupy an important space in the constitution of any society.
Chapter four outlines the causes of illness and injury and their connection to environmental factors and people's habits. It discusses the significance of solar eclipses among people, as well as supernatural forces, jinn, demons, zar, its origins, magic, and the evil eye.
Chapter five is dedicated to methods of diagnosing illness and injury, clarifying the difference between modern medical diagnoses which rely on evidence- based methods, and that of the general public who often depend on invoking supernatural forces for assistance in diagnosis. The author included examples of the reading of coffee cups, sand lines, dreams revelations(Ruaya), prayer for guidance, dream interpretation, and astrology.
Chapter Six: Healers, Treatment Methods, and Prevention, emphasizes the list of healers involved with people's health as extensive, highlighting that each ethnic group in Sudan has its own doctor or wise person. Sudanese people have recognized a large number of skilled traditional healers whose help they have sought, such as the fogara, the fakis, the sheikhs (religious leaders), and (the saints). This chapter includes examples of various forms of treatment, such as ruqyah (religious spiritual healing), incense, and herbal remedies. The author also underlined the role of the housewife as a health and social assistant who efficiently manages most family affairs as well as the further roles women played within the family.
Chapter Seven: Traditional Treatments and Practices discusses folk surgery and its risks. This includes exampled of female circumcision in its various forms, cupping, tattooing, bloodletting, and traditional prosthetics. The chapter also references Ali Wad Giyama, a traditional human and veterinary doctor and a fortune teller who practiced wound treatment, anesthesia, pregnancy and delivery. Chapter seven also includes traditional medicine, and folk pharmacy that comprised of various recipes used by people to treat illnesses. It also addresses food and misconceptions that impacted people's health, especially children.
In chapter eight, titled “Harvest of Years,” the author discusses the journey of Sudanese people in caring for their health during the second half of the twentieth century, pointing to Sudan’s failure since independence to implement a comprehensive and sustainable development plan that meets human needs to improve the people’s health.
This chapter shows that despite the increase in doctors and medical staff, the number of medical practitioners has not been very beneficial because of high rates of their emigration abroad, and those who remained in the country preferred the private sector. The chapter criticizes the government's spending policy on health, which places health at the bottom of its priorities, which the author contends, arguing the necessity of raising it to the top of the priorities because humans are the real asset.
Chapter eight also discusses the scarcity of medical literature that researchers can refer to regarding the history of medicine and the heritage of Sudan, noting that Sudanese scholars, and doctors in particular, are reluctant to document and record their work and the history of medicine in Sudan which results in a lack of historical, social medical studies. He also notes that teaching in most medical colleges remains disconnected from the practice of medicine in the long history of Sudan and its medical heritage. One reason for this weakness is the scarcity of documented material that assists both teachers and students. The author warns of the prevailing lack of documentation in Sudan and the neglect of documentation resources, taking as example the deterioration of the National Health Laboratory library and the scattering of its books and journals which began to be collected in 1902, as well as the demolition of the photographic museum in 1963-1964, which was opened in 1944. The author emphasizes the necessity of preserving professional records and documenting its heritage.
Chapter nine discusses harmful medical actions in comparison to wise medical practice. The author explains the types of harmful medical actions; what constitutes a harmful medical action, and the likelihood of such actions occurring. Harmful medical actions are seen as the causes of signs and symptoms of the health system's deterioration, indicating defects and gaps in the entire health system. The author suggests that reforming the health system requires an integrated and interconnected effort, qualified leadership at all levels, and advanced awareness of culture. As the author states, Sudan will not be able to diminish the occurrence of harmful medical actions without adopting and following the approach of wise medical practice.
The book emphasizes the connection between the humanities and applied sciences, making it relevant for all medical service providers and students of the humanities, particularly sociology and folklore. It refers to what the scholar Tijani Al-Mahi highlighted regarding the importance of studying the history of medicine, affirming that the humanities play a significant role in understanding health and disease. The knowledge provided by the humanities connects the doctor to the patient and links medical practice to Sudan's social history spanning centuries, forefronting its medical and health heritage. It also connects biological medicine and its sciences to their historical roots and streams. The author does not want medical education in colleges to remain disconnected from the historical context of Sudan or its medical and health heritage, nor from the historical and social roots of its sciences.
The author’s contribution is not limited to this book, he initiated and participated in studies on traditional medicine. In 1982, the Institute for Research in Traditional Medicine at the National Research Council was established through his initiative, aiming to study medical heritage with a scientifically oriented methodology. In recognition and appreciation of this effort, the World Health Organization designated it as a collaborating center in 1984 under the name WHO Collaborating Center for Research in Traditional Medicine. In 2004, he also founded the
Sudanese Foundation for Medical Heritage as a civil organization concerned
with research on medical systems, the history of medicine, preserving health heritage, and monitoring the development of medical services in Sudan. His interest stems from a fact he highlighted in his book: that traditional medicine is widely prevalent in developing countries, including Sudan, due to the high costs of treatment in hospitals and that there is a need to organize the work of traditional practitioners. Ahmed's concern and interest continued as he proposed a documentation project in 2005 called "The Health Trio in Sudan," which includes three parts: the history of medicine and the biographies of pioneers in Sudan, an encyclopedia of Sudanese doctors, and a bibliography of Sudanese medical studies in the twentieth century.
What stands out in this book is the wealth of material upon which it is based. Over the past four decades during which the book was written, Ahmed visited most of the traditional healing centers in Sudan and reviewed all available literature, whether auditory, written, or visual. A total of 35 pages have been dedicated to the sources and references used in the book. The author has precisely documented every piece of information included.
The title of the book, "The Wise Man," was chosen with great care. The term, which the author suggests likely originated from the Egyptians during the era of Turko-Egyptian rule, holds a particular significance. The term was not only applied to graduated physicians, but also to most who engage in healing. This name evokes childhood memories for me, reminding me of "Hassan the Wise," as the medical assistant Hassan was known, who came to treat people from the far north in Nawa to Arbaij in El-Jazeera region. I recall childhood songs: “I am a wise man healing people from fever and headaches”. The book resonates deeply with concepts of health, emphasizing that “whoever swears by health lacks nothing,” and due to its importance, people have tried everything possible for healing, which is explained upon in the book.
The book “El-Hakim” which the author humbly describes as an introduction to the social history of medicine and health in Sudan is encyclopedic and comprehensive in its approach. It represents the culmination of immense and elaborated effort. Congratulations to Dr. Ahmed El-Safi on this immense achievement that has enriched the Sudanese library with a much needed academic reference.
Cover picture: Cover of Dr. Ahmed Al-Safi's digital books © Dr. Ahmed Al-Safi, books can be purchased on Amazon
