Journal of Research on History of Medicine
Volume:13 Issue: 1, Feb 2024

The Austrian surgeon Erwin Payr can be regarded as an extraordinarily influential scholar and physician, both for the development of surgical science and clinical medicine around the time of World War I. Today the “Payr’s sign” and the “Payr’s disease” in clinical medicine are closely associated with Erwin Payr’s name and surgical instruments, like the “Payr pylorus clamp”, were also named after him. Furthermore, some of Erwin Payr’s former assistants and senior physicians, for example, Martin Kirschner (1879-1942), Herbert Olivecrona (1891-1980), Antoni Tomasz Jurasz (1882-1961), Masao Sumita (1878-1946), Otto Kleinschmidt (1880-1948), Josef Hohlbaum (1884-1945), Paul Frangenheim (1876-1930), Heinrich Kuntzen (1893-1977), and Ernst Heller (1877-1964), in part later became extremely influential surgeons and international medical scholars. This article discusses an original historical correspondence from Payr to Emil Krückmann (1865-1944) from October 7, 1916. This original correspondence also includes a handwritten message to Arthur Brückner (1877-1975), written by an unidentifiable physician on the backside of the typewritten correspondence. The existence of this original material shows that surgery in World War I partly had a very provisional character and that the treatment of the patients could have been, at least to some extent, chaotic and not well organized with frequent changes in the physicians’ responsibility for their patients.

Following the Second World War, structural changes shadowed Iran’s higher education system in medicine. Major strategies, programs, teaching methods, etc., underwent significant changes during the second Pahlavi era. This study aimed to examine, academically and historically, the transformations in medical education during the second Pahlavi era. Regardless of its intrinsic value, it elucidates the roots of many contemporary problems and issues in medical education.This study utilizes a descriptive-analytical method within the framework of historical studies, relying on archival documents and library resources from the second Pahlavi era (statistical yearbooks, guidelines, executive programs of organizations and ministries, and historical texts of that period) in an attempt to address research questions. The findings indicate that significant international developments, domestic public demands, fundamental structure weaknesses, and the absence of centralized policies have led to a discourse inclined towards change and improvement in medical education during the second Pahlavi era.As a historical and continuous process, medical education is observable and dynamic. In the second Pahlavi era, it was presented and introduced as a necessary issue requiring change, directly impacting the quality of public health. This approach later led to integrating medical education into the service delivery system within the revolutionary discourse.

Most people believe that they are adequately aware of sex and its etiquette and hence, they don’t need any education to improve their sexual knowledge. However, relevant issues that are often treatable, like sexual diseases or dissatisfaction, have made physicians write or translate various manuscripts and books to improve public knowledge of sex. The medical manuscript “Lazzat Un Nisaʼ” is an example of such an educational resource. In this paper, the miniatures of the manuscript and their relationship with the text are analyzed. The purpose is to determine the method employed in this visual narrative. The results indicate that the Miniaturist has not resorted to the erotic art; he, rather based his illustration on a lyrical-realistic method. This illustration refers to the effects of sexual knowledge on the success of married life, the intimacy between man and woman, and the satisfaction of their relationship. Accordingly, he has used intelligently visual techniques to picture people, especially women, in the most physical and mental health. He aims to evoke such effects by visual narrative in the miniatures and present the content of the medical text in the manuscript attractively.

The process of embryogenesis has long fascinated scholars, both in ancient Unani medicine and modern science, as it holds the key to the formation and development of life. In Unani medicine, the understanding of embryogenesis is deeply rooted in the philosophy of life, emphasizing the importance of reproduction for species survival. This article delves into the Unani perspective on embryogenesis, highlighting the role of Manī (semen) and the interplay of Arkān (elements) in shaping the development of the embryo. Unani scholars have expounded on various aspects of embryogenesis, including the formation of essential organs, sex differentiation, and the roles of Quwwat tanasuliyya (reproductive faculty) in Manī production and fertilization. They also described a holistic view of embryonic development, from the formation of the Zubda (zygote) to the differentiation of vital organs, aligning with some principles in modern embryology.This article explores striking similarities between Unani and modern scientific concepts of embryogenesis, such as gastrulation, umbilical vessels, and sex differentiation. Additionally, it discusses aspects like quickening, lactational amenorrhea, and foetal presentation, where Unani insights align with contemporary medical knowledge.All the relevant literature on Unani medicine has been evaluated, assessed and analysed based on classical texts. Additionally, several papers in this regard were also searched using search engines, namely PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect.The evolution of embryology as a scientific discipline has seen significant transformations, progressing from its early rudimentary stages to a more evidence-driven approach. This shift towards empirical science becomes readily apparent when examining the historical trajectory of embryological development.

This essay is a critical reading of a preface by an Iranian translator, Mahmud Nava’i, to his translation of a Freudian text. Drawing on the idea of “wild” analysis defined by Freud in 1910 as inappropriate psychoanalysis, the paper attempts to compare Freud’s idea to the translator’s commentary on Freudian psychoanalysis. It demonstrates how an inquisitive, if not erroneous, interpretation of psychoanalysis could result in an embodiment of wild analysis in Iran. Although psychoanalysis was not embraced in Iran as a psychotherapeutic method in the 1960s, such understandings of the method could play into the hands of the detractors of Freud, both in religious and Leftist quarters, who took Freudianism as a threat to Muslim morals and Marxist outlooks, respectively. Also, translating Freud’s theories into the Persian language cannot constitute an essential element in psychotherapy because this type of therapy cannot be learned from books, per Freud’s account of the ‘wild’ psychoanalysis.

Veterinary toxicology is one of the subspecialties of veterinary medicine. On the other hand, traditional medical sources also contain veterinary knowledge, entailing human medical information. In this study, we aimed to extract and present relevant information on the part of the history of veterinary medicine, especially veterinary toxicology, through research on Al-Razi’s book Al-Hawi fi Al-Tib. We queried keywords of poison, poisoning, animal, and related terms in Al-Hawi fi Al-Tib. Also, we searched international and domestic databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, SID, and IranDoc, to obtain relevant data. Our results showed that Al-Razi directly mentioned the toxicity of ten toxic plants in the animals. It is suggested that Al-Razi has contributed to the knowledge of veterinary medicine and the subspecialty of veterinary toxicology in particular. Future studies recommended to vet other historical medical sources, including traditional medicine textbooks, to find relevant information about veterinary medicine and veterinary toxicology.

Mrs. Dr. Soghra Azarmi (1914-1973) is one of the most influential female doctors in Iran’s contemporary history. She was the first pathologist and the pioneer of the cytology database, making a significant impact on the lives of many women suffering from cancer. Various experiences marked her life, and she navigated through the stages of career progression with genuine merit. Dr. Soghra Azarmi initiated her secondary education in Hamedan, located in western Iran. Following a teaching period, she pursued her medical studies at Tehran University. Later, she ventured to the United States, where she worked at Women’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. There she pursued her studies in Pathology. Subsequently, she obtained a research opportunity in Melbourne, Australia, and furthered her studies in cytology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Upon returning to Iran, Dr. Soghra Azarmi joined the National Cancer Society, where she played a crucial role in saving the lives of numerous cancer patients. This research gives an introduction to the pathology department at Tehran University and subsequently reports the scientific and research journey of the esteemed professor in the pathology department.