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Showing 6 results for Medical History
The Impact of Iranians on Chinese Medical Beliefs via Religions
Hamid Kavyani Pooya ,
Volume 9, Issue 5 (1-2017)
Abstract

Archaeological evidence and various historical documents indicate that Chinese were aware of the lands beyond the mountains of the West, especially Iran. This article argues that Iranians had a great role in transferring Iranian religions as well as some other religions such as Christianity to China. As such, the transfer of medical knowledge had had occurred along with transferring those religions and beliefs.

As it is the case now, in the past, business relationship between countries and different ethnic groups played a great role in knowledge transfer between nations. By reviewing the existing historical documents, library resources and archaeological findings, show that the extensive trade exchanges between Iran and China, lead to not only cultural exchange and religious beliefs but also the transfer of medical beliefs, knowledge and practices to China. This happened by the Iranian religious envoys as well as non-Iranian religious missionaries. In conclusion, this knowledge and technology transfer had an impact on the flourishing Chinese medicine.


An Introduction to the Stand of Medicine among Muslims in the Past
Mehdi Nateghpour, Ali Kazemian, Nikzad Isazadeh,
Volume 10, Issue 0 (3-2017)
Abstract
Islamic culture has a bright and comprehensive history in human civilization. Based on Islamic teachings the spirit and body are in close relation with a mutual influence on humans’ health. The Holy Qur’an as well as the Prophet of Islam and his successors (peace be upon them) have paid deep attention to both spirit and body. Moreover, according to religious scholars’ decree (fatwa) cleanness and neatness has been mentioned as the main condition for worships to be accepted. The Prophet (PUH) said: “Neatness is half of the faith”. Therefore, efforts to keep the health of both spirit and body are important to Muslims.  Although, in ancient time, health and medicine were bined together, later they were divided into three sections including health, clinical diagnosis of disease and treatment. Based on Islamic teachings, Muslim scholars learned medicine and then began to translate some Greek, Seriani and Indian medical knowledge into to Arabic language, which has shaped the golden age of Islamic medicine spanning between the 8th and the 15th Centuries.
Among the Islamic countries Iran had a specific place in the field of medical sciences. Jondishapour was one of the most prominent medical educational centers back then. This article elaborates on the status of medicine based on historical evidence as well as Muslim physicians in the golden age of Islamic medicine.
 

Introduction and Critique of the Paper "Medicine of the Safavid Era Relying on Western Travelogues"
Jamal Rezaei Orimi, Shahrbanoo Asadi,
Volume 15, Issue 1 (3-2022)
Abstract
The Safavid period is considered one of the most important periods in the history of Iranian medicine. During this period, medical knowledge was developed many works in the field of medicine were written and several hospitals were established. In recent years, several studies have been conducted on the medical history of the Safavid period. The purpose of this study is to introduce and critique the paper "Medicine of the Safavid era relying on Western travelogues" by Saeed Agharezaei and Shiva Rezaei. This research is an analytical-critical study that uses library resources to review and evaluate the paper in terms of structure, content, and method. The paper has coherent writing and indicates the authors' efforts to explain the medical and health situation of the Safavid period from the perspective of Western tourists. In the structure of the paper, sometimes inappropriate references and writing errors are seen. Failure to mention the reasons for the migration of physicians to India, failure to determine the true location of hospitals, failure to mention the position of dental, veterinary and surgical knowledge, failure to mention epidemics and ambiguity of the pharmacology situation in the Safavid period can be enumerated content critiques. The results show that the paper, despite attempts to reveal various aspects of medicine in the Safavid era, has some structural, content, and method problems. Therefore, it is expected that the respected authors, by eliminating the mentioned problems, will be able to publish a more significant work on the history of medicine in future research.

A Historical Investigation of the Establishment and Evolution of Tehran’s Insane Asylum (Dar al-Majanin) during the Qajar and Pahlavi Eras
Elham Malekzadeh, Zahra Alizadeh Birjandi,
Volume 17, Issue 1 (3-2024)
Abstract
This study examined the history of the establishment and evolution of Tehran’s insane asylum during the Qajar and Pahlavi periods. The significance of this study in medical history lies in its exploration of the founding of one of Iran’s earliest medical institutions and the factors that influenced its subsequent transformations. Given its focus on the development of insane asylum (Dar al-Majanin) and the public’s appeals for its improvement, this study offers valuable insights into the social history of the period. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach and relying on unpublished archival documents, this study presented a narrative of the history of madness that shed light on the untold stories of the mentally ill (Majanin) and prevailing societal beliefs about them. These beliefs profoundly influenced the treatment of patients within these institutions. The findings revealed that while the care provided to the mentally ill improved during this period, ongoing challenges persisted due to limited resources and a growing patient population. The prevailing attitude of officials toward the mentally ill was primarily one of containment, aimed at protecting the public from perceived threats.

Investigating the Impact of the Bombay Plague (1896 AD / 1314 AH) on Muslim Pilgrimage (Hajj)
Reza Taghi Zade Naieni,
Volume 18, Issue 1 (3-2025)
Abstract
The plague of 1896 AD/1314 AH was one of the most devastating epidemics in history that occurred in Bombay, India. This disease had a profound impact on human societies, particularly Islamic societies, and on the pilgrimage of Muslims between 1896 and 1899. This historical review study analyzed the consequences of the plague outbreak in Bombay, India, in 1896 AD/1314 AH on the pilgrimage process of Muslims in the mentioned year and the following years. This study also examined the type of exposure of Muslims to this disease and the restrictions imposed by the governments of the time. Data were collected from historical resources such as reports in Hajj travelogues, historical documents, Arabic press news, recent research by Western researchers, and scientific articles. The findings indicated that the ruling governments attempted to prevent the spread of the disease and reduce casualties by establishing and developing quarantine facilities, dispatching medical teams, shortening the permitted duration of pilgrims’ stay in Saudi Arabia, and persuading Muslims to forgo the Hajj pilgrimage. The success of these preventive measures hinged on two main factors: first, the necessary executive power to enforce restrictions, and second, the mitigation of economic insecurity for communities simultaneously affected by illness and pilgrimage. Furthermore, the acceptance of these limitations was significantly influenced by Muslim perceptions of the restrictions and their cultural and religious backgrounds.

Quantitative Evaluation of the Content of Theses in the Field of History of Medical Sciences in Iranian Universities (2013-2022)
Zahra Aghabeiglooei, Jamal Rezaei Orimi, Seyed Mohammad Hashemimehr, Roshanak Saghebi, Morteza Mojahedi, Seyyed Amir Hosein Latifi, Mehdi Salehi, Seyed Abdollah Mahmood,
Volume 18, Issue 1 (3-2025)
Abstract
Evaluating and analyzing scientific productions play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of research and effectively managing research resources. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the content of theses in the field of the history of medical sciences in Iranian universities from 2013 to 2022. This applied study was conducted using the quantitative content analysis method. The findings revealed that the highest number of theses were completed in 2022 (19.2%), with topics related to traditional medicine and traditional pharmacy being the most prevalent. Descriptive and descriptive-analytical studies were the most common research methods. Moreover, the most frequent keywords included “Medical History”, “Traditional Medicine”, and “Iranian Medicine” and their Persian equivalents. Regarding historical periods, the Islamic period (from the emergence of Islam to the early Safavid era) accounted for the highest number of theses, while the contemporary period had the lowest. The results indicated a research focus on traditional medicine and the Islamic period, highlighting the need for further exploration of other historical periods and the use of qualitative methods to deepen understanding of historical complexities.

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