According to Avicenna, the perfect (or complete) disposition (istiʿdād kāmil/tāmm) turns prime matter, which is potentially receptive to every form (or power, or quality), into complected matter, which is endowed with uniform quality. The latter, i.e., complexion (mizāǧ) or complexional form (ṣūra mizāǧiyya), is suitable to receive some particular form (or power, or quality) and not another. The question arises as to how matter acquires its specific complexion. Is it the result of celestial influence, or does it emerge from chemical, elemental interactions within matter? This paper tries to answer this question with textual evidence from Avicenna’s natural philosophy and metaphysics. Together with soul/form, complected matter represents the other constituent of organic, living substances. The paper then attempts to determine which science is proper to its investigation. I argue that the investigation of organic matter, that is, the specific complexion characterizing the animal body (or its parts), pertains to zoology. Zoology is crucial to grounding medical practice, which operates on those specific complexions to preserve or restore health.

中文翻译：

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物质与形式之间：肤色 (mizāǧ) 作为阿维森纳科学项目的基石

根据阿维森纳的说法，完美（或完整）的性格（伊斯提达德卡米尔/塔姆）将可能接受每种形式（或力量或质量）的原始物质转变为具有统一质量的复杂物质。后者，即肤色（米扎) 或肤色形式 (苏拉·米扎伊亚），适合接收某种特定形式（或力量，或质量），而不是另一种。问题是物质如何获得其特定的肤色。它是天体影响的结果，还是物质内部化学、元素相互作用的结果？本文试图用阿维森纳的自然哲学和形而上学的文本证据来回答这个问题。与灵魂/形式一起，复杂的物质代表了有机的、有生命的物质的其他组成部分。然后，本文试图确定哪种科学适合其研究。我认为对有机物的研究，即动物身体（或其部位）的特定肤色，属于动物学。动物学对于基础医疗实践至关重要，医疗实践针对特定的肤色来保持或恢复健康。