JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON HISTORY OF MEDICINE
Year:2017 | Volume:6 | Issue:1 |Papers Count:6

The aim of this study is to map the chronological achievements of public health over the past 100 years in a small island state and to outline emerging themes. A retrospective analysis of data was conducted from the published population and vital statistics reports of the Central Statistical Office for the period of 1953-2006, as well as all available published reports of the Ministry of Health. Data were also collected from the published reports of the Registrar General for the period of 1944-52. The study demonstrated the sequence in which diseases of public health importance were eliminated; these included hookworm, smallpox, malaria, cholera, typhoid, yellow fever and the vaccine preventable diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. In addition, for the first time the mumps epidemic of 2000-2003 was identified. While much has been achieved over the past 100 years particularly with regard to infectious diseases, many challenges stand ahead. Hence, a highly trained and skilled PH workforce is required to confront a changing healthcare landscape, epidemics, rising expectations from clients, as well as to tackle key determinants of health.

Persian scholars greatly influenced the advancement of medical sciences during the Middle Ages. As a review of the books surviving from that time shows, infectious diseases was one main field of interest for these scientists. Among this group of health problems, rabies was specifically described by Persian physicians, particularly by Avicenna (980 – 1037 A. D. ) in his famous “ Canon of Medicine. ” The current study aimed to examine these physicians’ brilliant views and innovations on the manifestations, diagnosis, and management of rabies, a subject not comprehensively assessed until now.

The purpose of this historical review is to summarize the work of Paul of Aegina and especially his contribution to the treatment of Spine disorders and trauma. A major review of the literature was undertaken with emphasis on the treatise of Paul himself as well as those of later scholars and historians. Paul expanded the horizons of surgery of his time, using his talent to perform very complicated surgery with favorite outcomes in a variety of diseases in many fields of medicine. This review will focus especially on his use of laminectomy for spinal decompression and how his successful results led him to establish his method as a routine and safe method for the treatment of spinal stenosis. However, our knowledge of his full work is at least incomplete and, from all we know, he does not seem to mention the long term effect that such an operation has on spine stability and movement.

Obstetrics and Gynecology as one of the most important branches of modern medicine, enjoys a thousand-year history of the views of scientists and physicians of various civilizations of India, Greece, Iran and other nations. This field of study from ancient times, has been considered as one of the oldest professions in the world, dating back to the length of human life. Obstetrics and Gynecology, as an academic discipline, not only is related to the birth or pregnancy, but has also been playing an important role in the treatment of women. According to historical resources, Islamic medicine is indebted to Greece and Rome, and many works of Islamic medicine root in Greek schools. It should be borne in mind that Greek medicine owes its turn to Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia and India, respectively. In the Islamic period, based on Islamic law, specific instructions for the survival of human life, the importance of marriage and family formation and physical health of men and women are taken to a formal program. Many works in the field of midwifery and gynecology at the beginning of the Islamic period have been developed which are determined by examining the physicians of Islamic civilization, also known as the majority of uterine diseases. Dystocia, infertility and other diseases were treated among women; such physicians theoretically, have written treatises on midwifery and gynecology, or at least chapters of their books were dedicated to issues. The present study is aimed at surveying Muslim Physician’ s views on the etiology and treatment plans for Uterus diseases. The dominant presupposition serves the fact that Muslim physicians were knowledgeable about such problems, and provided convenient clinical remedies to cure them. The analytic-descriptive nature of this study has taken advantage of library documents to describe various treatment plans and explain their diversities in managing Uterus-related issues. The study proceeds to conclude that most Muslim physicians agreed with each other on surgical and medicinal techniques to manage Uterus-related diseases; they did not believe in superstition or magic though.

In Safavid era, Ottoman rulers were interested in science and culture, and there were always Iranian physicians, astronomers, scholars, artists and poets in their courts. Although there were always wars between most Ottoman sultans and the Safavid kings, they could not prevent Iranian culture from influencing that land. At the same time, artists and scholars went to other countries, including the country of Ottoman Empire for fame, and besides, despite the wars with Safavid rulers, sultans of Ottoman attempted to bring Iranian scientists and artists to their land. In the meantime, two Iranian doctors, who happened to be father and son named Hakim Muhammad Sabzevari and Hakim Ghiaseddin Sabzevari, entered Ottoman Empire territory, and made scientific works and medical care in Ottoman Court; these two Iranian physicians are studied in this paper.