"Plague" in Tradition Persian Medicine and Modern Medicine

زمینه و هدف: طاعون یکی از قدیمی‌ترین بیماری‌های عفونی با مرگ و میر بالا است که از طریق باکتری یرسینیا پستیس (Yersinia Pestis) ایجاد می‌شود و با شروع ناگهانی تب، درد و تورم غدد لنفاوی بروز پیدا می‌کند. هدف از این مطالعه، بررسی بیماری طاعون از منظر طب سنتی ایران و مقایسه یافته‌های حاصل با رویکرد طب رایج به طاعون است. مواد و روش‌ها: در این مطالعه، ما منابع معتبر طب سنتی ایران در قرون مختلف شامل کتاب «قانون در طب»، «ذخیره خوارزمشاهی»، «اکسیر اعظم» را مطالعه و مطالب آن‌ها را با یافته‌های اخیر در خصوص طاعون مورد مقایسه قرار دادیم. یافته‌ها: طاعون در طب سنتی ایران تعریفی مشابه طب رایج دارد و یک بیماری واگیردار همراه با تب و تورم گوشت‌های سست یا غدد لنفاوی بدن توصیف شده است. تعفن هوا و استعداد بدنی افراد از عوامل مستعدساز ابتلای به این بیماری شمرده شده است و جا به جایی از هوای عفونی گرم به هوای لطیفِ معتدل، مصرف داروهای گیاهی مانند انار، آلوبخارا، سرکه و استعمال عطریات و بخورات مانند عود، صندل و گلاب از مهم‌ترین توصیه‌های اطبای ایرانی در پیشگیری از این بیماری می‌باشند و مصرف گل ارمنی و جَدوار در درمان آن مفید بیان شده است. نتیجه‌گیری: شواهد اخیر نشان می‌دهند که توصیه‌های بهداشتی درمانی طب سنتی ایران در خصوص طاعون با موازین علمی روز منطبق است و بررسی بیشتر منابع طب ایرانی می‌تواند منجر به بازشدن دریچه‌های تحقیقاتی جدید در مقابله با اپیدمی‌های عفونی از جمله طاعون شود.Background and Aim: "Plague" is one of the oldest infectious diseases with high mortality caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria. It is characterized by the sudden onset of fever, followed by pain and lymphadenopathy. The aim of this study is to review the viewpoints of Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) concerning the plague and to compare the findings of the study with conventional medical approach. Materials and Methods: In this study, we reviewed the reliable resources of TPM in various centuries including The Canon of Medicine, Zakhireh kharazmshahi and Exir-e-Azam to make a comparison between traditional and conventional approaches concerning the plague. Findings: Plague in traditional resources has a similar definition in comparison to conventional medicine; as a febrile disease accompanied with warm swelling of soft parts of the body. Septic air and body dystemperaments (abnormal changes of the whole body or an organ temperament) are predisposing factors of catching the disease. Moving from hot septic air into fresh air, eating some medicinal fruits and preparations such as pomegranate, prune and vinegar, also using perfumes like joss stick, sandalwood, and rose water are the most common hygienic recommendations of Persian traditional practitioners for the disease. Applying Zedoary (Curcuma zedoaria) and Armenia's clay are the other therapeutic recommendations in dealing with plague. Conclusion: Recent findings show that Persian traditional approach on plague meet today's scientific standards. New research ideas can be derived from reviewing written resources of TPM in dealing with infectious epidemics such as the plaque. Please cite this article as: Zare F, Mosavat SH, Atarzadeh F, Jaladat AM. "Plague" in Tradition Persian Medicine and Modern Medicine. Med Hist J 2017; 9(32): 85-95

A review on botanicals with wound healing activity for pemphigus vulgaris: perspective of traditional Persian medicine and conventional medicine

Objective: As a rare autoimmune disease, pemphigus vulgaris has a poor prognosis especially in lack of proper medical support. This blistering disease involves both the skin and mucus membranes. The challenge is improving the healing process of skin lesions of which, superimposed infections are among the main causes of the disease mortality. Accordingly, we aimed to assess the treatment options suggested by traditional Persian medicine (TPM) and compare them with current findings. Materials and Methods: We studied the main clinical and pharmaceutical textbooks of TPM   (Kitāb al-hāwīfī al-tibb, the Canon of Medicine, Eksir-e-Aazam, Tuhfat al-mu'minīn, Makhzan al-adviyah (focusing on the skin chapter and respective herbal remedies for the inflamed skin and ulcers. Additionally, scientific databases such as PubMed, Science direct, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for the current pharmacological evidence. In the studied books, the term “hot ulcers” was found close to what is known as “Pemphigus vulgaris”. Results: Reported medicinal herbs possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, wound healing, and antibacterial activities reported by recent studies. Therefore, they could be introduced as novel natural remedies for pemphigoid wounds. Conclusion: Taken as a whole, the review of traditional remedies for hot ulcers in Persian medical and pharmaceutical literature may open a new window toward developing new topical treatments for this disease