History
Historical Influences of Iran in the Field of Medicine
When I started studying Naturopathic Medicine in the United States, I realized just how little Americans and the rest of the world know about Iranian contributions to the field of medicine (and naturopathic medicine, in particular).
Everything in the West is attributed to the Greeks, ignoring the fact that Iran conquered Greece for 200 years before the Greek counterattack by Alexander of Macedonia. Prior to this, Iranian culture held significant influence over both Greece and Egypt for 200 years, as well as much of the ancient world. Sadly, many of Iran's historical sites and libraries were destroyed during Alexander's conquest, including the burning of Persepolis.
As a result, ancient Iran is rarely given the credit it deserves. Even Iranian women who ruled Greeks are often credited as being Greek. Many herbs and foods are attributed to Greece or other nations, while ancient Iran was truly the center of many advancements. Even when Alexander of Macedonia conquered Iran, he was so impressed with Iranian culture that he not only adopted it but also married an Iranian woman from a noble family. Furthermore, he ordered his generals to adapt to, respect, and follow Iranian traditions and culture. This allowed Iran to continue influencing Greek culture for another 100 years.
Many Iranians believe that the literature and knowledge taken from Iranian territories helped Greece achieve the advances that Western culture now claims as its inheritance.
In the paragraphs below, I have gathered information from various sources to shed light on the role of Iranians in medicine—particularly in naturopathic medicine as it is known in the United States.
Iran was a significant kingdom in ancient times, even before the Persian Empire. On at least three different occasions, it was an empire of immense influence. The Persian Empire, in particular, encompassed many countries, giving ancient Iranian medicine diverse and rich roots. Unfortunately, many of these contributions and advancements have since been attributed to other nations.
.A recent discovery in the ancient Burnt City of a young woman with a golden eye transplant, dating back to 3200 BCE, further attests to the sophistication of ancient Iranian medicine.
The Reconstructed Face of a 5,000-Year-Old Iranian Woman
The face of a 5,000-year-old Iranian woman has been recently reconstructed by Iranian researchers using the latest scientific archaeology methods. (See Persian-language article sourced from Tabnak News—see also English-language posting in Afarensis: Anthropology, Evolution & Science). The body of a thirteen-year-old who seemed to have had hydrocephalus and underwent surgery in her skull was also found at the same location in the Burnt City, dating back to around 3200 to 2800 BCE. This, too, attests to advanced medicine in Iran. Archaeologists also found garlic buried next to the body, making one wonder if the belief that garlic wards off evil originated from ancient Iran. Garlic was used very widely to combat infection, in addition to many other ailments (this was during the Pro-Elam Dynasty in 3200–2700 BCE, before the Persian Empire).
Medicine During the Persian Empire
During the rule of the Persian Empire, the Vendidad (a book of Zoroastrian religious laws) tells of three kinds of medicine that were practiced: medicine by the knife (surgery), medicine by herbs, and medicine by divine words (which, according to the sacred text, is the best form of the three). Persians (Iranians) were using natural remedies and natural products to cure ailments.
In the Avesta (another Zoroastrian religious text), science and medicine rise above class, ethnicity, nationality, race, gender, and religion. The twenty-one books of the Avesta, encompassing 815 chapters, were an encyclopedia of science consisting of medicine, astronomy, law, social science, philosophy, general knowledge, logic, and biology. Zoroastrians placed great importance on personal hygiene, public health, and the prevention of contagious diseases.
The best teachers of medicine and astrology were the Iranian Magi and Mobeds (Zoroastrian priests), who passed their knowledge on to their pupils from one generation to the next. It is well known that the three wise men are of Iranian origin because of the fact that Iranians were the most advanced in astrology and religiously believed in one God. They were not idol worshipers, as was very common during this era. The three wise men in the Bible are believed to have been from Persia.
Hygeine, Medicinal Plants and Practices
According to Avestan texts, King Jamshid’s physician initiated the custom of bathing in hot and cold water (a very important technique in naturopathic medicine for healing of the body and mind). Ancient Persian public bath, where a paid bath giver is giving a massage and cleaning.
Iranians were advised to refrain from polluting or harming the four elements (air, water, fire, earth). They were not supposed to bathe, urinate, or wash any dirty objects in flowing water. Even spitting into the flowing water was considered a sin in the Zoroastrian religion. Any stinky or smelly materials could not be thrown into a fire; wild rue and frankincense were always burned inside houses to kill insects and bacteria, a custom that continues to this day.
The Persians lived in an empire stretching from the Indus Valley in the east to the Aegean Sea to the Danube River and all the way to Egypt. This region had considerable variation in climate and vegetation. Because of this, the Persians became familiar with a vast range of medicinal plants. The Avesta mentions several medicinal herbs, including basil, chicory, sweet violet, and peppermint. Avestan texts not only list the various parts of plants such as roots, stems, scales, leaves, fruit, and seeds used for treatment but also indicate which plant is the remedy for each disease.
Iran during the Persian Empire (550 BCE)
The Persian Empire promoted the development of culture and science extensively. Great scholars, such as the philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus, the Babylonian astronomer Kidinnu, and even the historian Herodotus, were all Persian subjects. Texts also show lists of plants, herbs and other substances used for medicinal purposes. Drugs used internally, including mercury, antimony, arsenic, sulfur, and animal fats were also prescribed.
Iranian Medicine during the Sassanian Empire (224 CE – 651 CE)
The Academy of Gondishapur was one of the three Sassanian Empire centers for education and learning. It offered training in medicine, philosophy, theology, and science. According to the Cambridge History of Iran, it was the most important medical center in the ancient world during the sixth and seventh centuries.
Gondishapur physicians were required to pass special examinations to obtain a license for practicing medicine. A director, medical staff, pharmacists, and servants operated this well-organized medical institute. Upon its entrance was engraved, “Knowledge and virtue are superior to sword and strength.” The Nestorian physician Jabrail ibn Bakhtishu was the head of the Jundaishapur Gondishapur University. He was later charged with building the first hospital (Bimarestan or Maristan) in the city based on the Syro-Persian model already established at Jundaishapur Gondishapur.
The Sassanid Empire traditional territory included all of today Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Afghanistan, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan, India (in addition to Pakistan), Caucasia (the area of present-day Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia), Central Asia, Egypt, and Arabia.
Persia influenced Roman civilization considerably during the Sassanids' times. Persian cultural influence continued to extend far beyond the empire’s territorial borders during the Sassanid Empire as well, reaching as far as western Europe, Africa, China, and India (regions that were not under Persian rule) and playing a prominent role in the formation of both European and Asiatic medieval art.
This influence carried forward to the early Islamic world. The Iranian dynasty’s unique, aristocratic culture transformed the Islamic nations into a Persian renaissance. Much of what later became known as Islamic culture (Iranians wrote everything in Arabic due to love of Islam and the Quran), architecture, writing, and other skills were borrowed mainly from the Sassanid Persians and propagated throughout the broader Muslim world.
Muhammad ibn Zakariya Razi
One of the most notable scientists during the Islamic era was Muhammad ibn Zakariya Razi, also known by his Latinized name Rhazes or Rasis (854 CE – 925 CE). He was a Persian polymath, physician, alchemist, chemist, philosopher, and an important figure in the history of medicine. He is the discoverer of alcohol and vitriol (sulfuric acid) and is well-known. Razi was possibly the first Persian doctor to deliberately write a home medical manual directed at the general public. He dedicated it to the poor, ordinary citizen who could consult it for treatment of common ailments when a doctor was not available. This book, of course, is of special interest to the history of pharmacy, since similar books were not very popular until the 20th century. In its 36 chapters, Razi described diets and drug components that can be found in either an apothecary, a marketplace, in well-equipped kitchens, or in military camps. Thus, every intelligent person could follow its instructions and prepare the proper recipes with good results (a concept that is currently used in naturopathic medicine). Some of the illnesses treated were headaches, colds, coughing, melancholy, and diseases of the eye, ear, and stomach.
Here are a few examples of treatments:
· Treatment of a feverish headache: “Parts of duhn (oily extract) of rose, to be mixed with 1 part of vinegar, in which a piece of linen cloth is dipped and compressed on the forehead.”
· For a laxative: “7 drams of dried violet flowers with 20 pears, macerated and well mixed, then strained. Add to this filtrate, 20 drams of sugar for a drink.”
· In cases of melancholy, Razi invariably recommended prescriptions which included either poppies or their juice (opium), Cuscuta epithymum (clover dodder), or both.
· For an eye remedy, he advised myrrh, saffron, and frankincense, two drams each, to be mixed with one dram of yellow arsenic formed into tablets. Each tablet was to be dissolved in a sufficient quantity of coriander water and used as eye drops.
As a practicing physician, Razi wrote a pioneering book about smallpox and measles, providing clinical characterization of the diseases, and was said to be compassionate and devoted to the service of his patients, whether rich or poor. On a professional level, Razi introduced many practical, progressive, medical, and psychological ideas. He attacked charlatans and fake doctors who roamed the cities and countryside selling their nostrums and quotes. At the same time, he warned that even highly educated doctors did not have the answers to all medical problems and could not cure all illnesses or heal every disease.
Pur Sina and the Continued Return to Natural Medicine
Among other notable Iranian physicians is Avicenna, Pur Sina, or “son of Sina” (c. August 980 – June 1037), his Latinized name being Avicenna. Pur Sina was described as a polymath. He wrote almost 450 works on a wide range of subjects; 240 have survived. 150 of his surviving works concentrate on philosophy and 40 of them concentrate on medicine.
His most famous works are The Book of Healing, a vast philosophical and scientific encyclopedia, and The Canon of Medicine, which was a standard medical text at many medieval universities. The Canon of Medicine was used as a textbook in the universities of Montpellier and Leuven as late as 1650. Sina’s Canon of Medicine provides a complete system of medicine according to the principles of Galen and Hippocrates. His corpus also includes writing on philosophy, astronomy, alchemy, geology, psychology, Islamic theology, logic, mathematics, physics, as well as poetry. He is regarded as the most famous and influential polymath of the Islamic Golden Age.
Sina’s magnum opus is one of the classics of medicine. He extensively studied herbs from all over for medicinal use, including from China and India. Sina, like his predecessor Farabi (another well-known Iranian scientist), was an outspoken empiricist and insisted that all theories must be confirmed by experience. He argued against the blind acceptance of any authority and improved distillation techniques. Today, there are many practitioners of herbal and holistic medicine in Iran who follow the same traditions of their predecessors.
Currently, Iran, after losing its ancient advances in medicine, mostly relies on the modern pharmaceuticals of the West. However, since the revolution in 1979 and due to the sanctions that followed, there have been huge movements to revitalize the ancient traditions and culture of herbal medicine. I hope these movements continue and thrive.
But one hopes to see not only Iran but the entire world move back to treating patients holistically by using food as medicine and taking advantage of the many natural options available. Our focus must be shifted to a huge emphasis on prevention, instead of so much emphasis only on pharmaceutical approaches. I hope Americans, Iranians, and the world include naturopathic physicians at their family practices, in addition to adding naturopathic doctors among their teams in various specialties. Or, like the Chinese, Indians, and, in recent years, Iranians, Americans could include alternative practices and ancient traditions to help their patients, giving them the tools needed to heal themselves and reduce the outrageous costs of medicine once and for all. In America, there is a very rich Native American tradition of herbal medicine. I hope to see research on and a revival of this tradition, so that practicing this kind of medicine can be regulated and evidence-based.
Lots of love is sent to anyone reading this, who is trying to learn the art of healing their own diseases by providing the body with the right tools. This is in line with the ancient Iranian tradition from thousands of years ago, which believed in “Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body” or “Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds” all playing a fundamental role in our health and well-being. May your journey of healing mind and body start as you learn about your own power to heal yourself.
References
Academy of Gondishapur. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_of_Gondishapur
Ardalan, N. Z. (n.d.). The Burnt City, a Great Civilization in a Small Desert. Retrieved from https://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Archaeology/Pre-History/burnt_city.htm
Avicenna. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avicenna
Barger, L. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/6153/lisa_barger.html
Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_ibn_Zakariya_al-Razi
Price, M. (2001, October). History of Ancient Medicine in Mesopotamia & Iran. Retrieved from http://www.iranchamber.com/history/articles/ancient_medicine_mesopotamia_iran.php
The world’s first artificial eye. (2010, December 21). Retrieved from http://irandiscovery.blogspot.com/2010/12/worlds-first-artificial-eye.html
Qareh Kelisa قره كليسا , Chaldoran County, Iran (Built 67AD, Repaired due to earthquake 1319AD)