Ibn al-Nafis and pulmonary circulation: the crossroads of medical knowledge between East and West

Ovidio A. García-Villarreal, Colegio Mexicano de Cirugía Cardiovascular y Torácica, A.C., Ciudad de México, México

Ibn al-NafÄ«s transformed the understanding of cardiovascular physiology by describing for the first time the pulmonary circulation in his Sharḥ Tashrīḥ al-QānÅ«n, a critical commentary on Avicenna’s Canon of Medicine. His work combined anatomical observation, logical reasoning, and critical analysis, correcting the errors of Galen and Avicenna. He precisely explained the path of blood from the right ventricle to the lungs, where it mixed with air, and its return to the left ventricle, rejecting the existence of interventricular pores. This contribution remained unknown in the West until its rediscovery in 1924 by Muhyi al-DÄ«n al-TatawÄ« at the Prussian State Library, later disseminated by Meyerhof. The resemblance between his description and that of Michael Servetus in Christianismi Restitutio reveals an intellectual parallel, although the channels of transmission remain uncertain. His legacy confirms Ibn al-NafÄ«s as an essential precursor of cardiovascular physiology and a bridge between East and West.

Keywords: Pulmonary circulation. Cardiovascular physiology. History of medicine. Ibn al-Nafīs. Miguel Servet.