The Life of Jorjani: One of the Persian Pioneers of Medical Encyclopedia Compiling: On the Occasion of His 1000th Birthday Anniversary (434, A.H. - 1434, A.H.)

Abstract

Background: Seyyed Esmaeil Jorjani is one of the most prominent pioneers and scientists of Islamic and Iranian traditional medicine in the 11 th and 12 th centuries (4 th and 5 th centuries A.H.). The number of his books is not certainly clear, but it is signified that he has written a couple of great books concerning medicine for Persians and too many treatises in such fields as philosophy, theology, medical ethics, human anatomy, chemistry, pharmacy and other sciences. His most famous and important book is "Zakhireh Khwarazmshahi" or "The Treasure of King Khwarazm", which is really a complete and valuable medical encyclopedia in Persian language. Objectives: In the present study, authors have attempted to state the life and time of Jorjani and his views by studying the history, old medical sources, and other provided recent medical literature in these fields. Materials and Methods: Old and new references about this scientist have been used. Results: The biography of Hakim Jorjani has been well reviewed and described precisely. Conclusions: Based on our findings, it is clear that Jorjani described and explained the symptoms, signs and treatments of several diseases, introduced the activities of various medicinal plants, and compound formulations. He achieved all of this during his continuous visits to prestigious medical centers and famous people of his time.Keywords: Jorjani; Islamic Traditional Medicine; Iranian Traditional Medicine; Zakhireh Khwarazmshahi Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education: There is a limited knowledge about the history of medicine in Iran. Persian roles as pioneers who have attempted to transfer their fundamental theories, believes and experiments to the next generations, so that the generation of medical and scientific knowledge remains known. Among Persian scientists, Seyyed Esmaeil Jorjani is one of the most famous physicians of the Islamic and Iranian traditional medicine. He is among the scientists whom despite great fame, little is known about their lives nowadays. His life is introduced in this manuscript.

Historical Discoveries on Viruses in the Environment and Their Impact on Public Health

“…In the ancient times, Persian physicians such as Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi (Rhazes) in the 9th century and Ibn Sina (Avicenna) in the 10th century developed pioneer theories on infectious diseases, in which the origins of diseases such as variola, measles, and tuberculosis are external agents present in the contaminated air or water [12,13] (Table 1). Later, Sayyid Ismail Jorjani would even recommend boiling or filtering water before consumption [13,14]. In 1546, three centuries before the germ theory was admitted and the miasma theory was consequently buried, the Italian physician Girolamo Fracastoro wrote the book De contagione et contagiosis morbis.…”

İsma’il Cürcani ’nin Zahire-i H ’arezmşahi Adlı Ünlü Eserinin XVI. Yüzyıl Türkçe Çevirisi Kanunu’l- İlac ve Şifa u’l-Emraz Li-Külli Mizac’da “Geriatri” ve “Gerontoloji” ile ilgili Bölümler

“…Kitab n hem elit kitlenin hem de s radan insanlar n yararlanmas amac ile Farsça yazm t r (7). Yukar da belirtilenlere ek olarak, önemli t p okullar bar nd ran Rey ve fah n ehirlerini de ziyaret etti i baz kaynaklarda ifade edilmektedir (5). Cürc n Mu ammed utbu'd-D n ' rezm h' n o lu ve veliaht Ats z b. Mu ammed'e hizmet ettikten sonra 1137 y l nda Merv'de hayat n kaybetmi tir (2,3,7).…”

“…Cürc n 'nin t bb n yan s ra felsefe, t p eti i, teoloji, insan anatomisi, kimya, farmakoloji, eczac l k ve di er do a bilimleri üzerine eserleri bulunmaktad r (5). Dört kitaptan olu an el-A r u' -bbiye ve'l-Meb is u'l-Al 'iyye, eczac l k ve materia medica üzerine 5 ciltten olu an Y dig r, iki uzunlamas na cilt halinde düzenlenmi olup seyyahlar n her bir binici çizmesine bir cildi yerle tirmesi dü üncesi ile haz rlanm uffey-i Al say labilir (3,4,7).…”

A Brief Review of Jorjani’s Views on Hernias

“…It also was translated into Hebrew, Urdu, and Turkish. Zachariah contains a complete subject about groin hernia [9]. The study of old Persian medical books such as Zachariah will be beneficial for future historical studies [10].…”