Iranian Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine

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Prevalence of epidemic diseases including cholera and plague was among the most common causes of death during the Qajar era, and the necessity of fighting such diseases was one of the priorities of the government. Acquiring medicinal and pharmaceutical knowledge from Europe and promotion of general hygiene were among the efficient ways of preventing outbreaks and epidemics. The process was started by Abbas Mirza through sending students to Europe and continued by Amir Kabir through the establishment of Darolfonun (the Polytechnic School). Modern medicine and pharmacy were introduced in Iran by European professors of the Darolfonun however, their development faced oppositions in the traditional society of the era. In this research, we are going to explain the process of development and promotion of the modern medicine and drugstores, based on the present references, and then proceed to examine the impediments in this regard.

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Geography and astronomy are among the oldest and most widely practiced sciences that have continued to exist in modern times, and have always been associated with medicine. In astronomy, this association extends to astronomical calendars and the prediction of the most and least favorable occasions for the treatment of diseases. In the geographical context, it includes health and human diseases connected with environmental factors, and has developed with time into what is known today as medical geography.

Najm al-Mulk, the royal astronomer to the court of Naser al-Din Shah, was the first Iranian teacher and author of geography and astronomy in Dar ul-Fonun to promote these sciences, and was responsible for writing the traditional calendar. The aim of this study was to examine the evolution of geography and astronomy during the Qajar era. For this purpose, we investigated astronomical calendars and historical books, and examined the association of traditional medicine with geography and astronomy while inspecting the role of Najm al-Mulk in the process.