page_title: Medicine in Azerbaijan
section_title: Development of medicine in the 19th and early 20th century
hierarchical_section_title: Medicine in Azerbaijan / Development of medicine in the 19th and early 20th century
caption_attribution_description: Azərbaycanca: Həsən bəy Zərdabi
context_page_description: Medicine in Azerbaijan serves for protecting health and prosperity of citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Reforms in the sphere of medical care and direction of health care system are parts of a global strategic development program of economic and social infrastructure. This program is based on principles of establishment of high life democratic society with market economy.
context_section_description: In the early 19th century when northern khanates of Azerbaijan (Shirvan, Baku, Nakhchivan, Quba, Talysh, Karabakh, Shaki, Derbend and other) were joined to Russia and the southern (Tabriz, Khoy, Ardabil and others) ones to Iran, Azerbaijani community in Iran continued to exist under the influence of Persian and generally, the whole Islamic culture, but Azerbaijani community in the Russian Empire (later the USSR) was developing under the influence of Europeanized secular Russian culture (mainly in the Soviet times). Medicine in two regions was developing in two different ways.
  There wasn’t any European like pharmacy in Azerbaijan until 1828. During the reign of the Russian such hospitals and pharmacies were established in Azerbaijan as in the whole South Caucasus, where Russian doctors applied their skills.
  Abdulkhalig Akhundov founded basis of scientific investigation in the history of medicine in Azerbaijan. Abdulkhalig studied and translated famous pharmaceutics encyclopedia written by Abu Mansur Kharavi in the 9th century from Persian into German. After, the book was published in Germany. Abdulkhalig Akhundov also defended a dissertation in the history of medicine at the University of Tartu. In 1895, Dr.Mammad Rza Vakilov, Dr.Kerimbey Mehmandarov and others established Baku Union of Medicine.
   
  Hasan bey Zardabi and Mirza Fatali Akhundov used knowledge in medicine in their works for expression of philosophical ideas. Akhundov was one of the firsts who acted against traditional healers. He was the author of works about hygiene and sanitary. Zardabi also had an important role in development of medicine. He was the first Azerbaijani in the sphere of natural history and Social Darwinism.
  Being the author of “Akinchi” – the first Azerbaijani newspaper in the Russian Empire – Zardabi, together with Akhundov worked upon works about malaria devastated the country at that time. His “Hygiene” book is the first scientific research work about medicine in the sphere of hygiene in Azerbaijan. It was published in 1914, in Azerbaijan.
  Sometimes doctors gave gratuitous help to sick men. During cholera devastation in Nakhchivan, in 1847, Mirza Nasrulla Mirza Ali oglu gratuitously treated both Azerbaijani and Armenian sick men, due to which he was respected among people.
  Alongside all these, pharmacies where herbs imported from Iran and India were sold, were also functioning at that time. Such pharmacies were in every city of Azerbaijan – Baku, Shamakhi, Shusha, Agdam, Nakhchivan, Lahij, Ordubad, Salyan, Lankaran etc. Mir-Baba Mir-Abdulla oglu, father of eminent Azerbaijani literary man Yusif Vazir Chamanzaminli had a pharmacy in Aghdam. 142 kinds of medicines, more than 100 of which were made of herbs, were sold in his pharmacy. Chamanzaminli himself, being the son of the pharmacist, described everyday life and practices of Azerbaijani healers of the 19th century in his narrative called “The Doctor”.
  Such pharmacies were mainly in Iranian (Southern) Azerbaijan. At the beginning of the 20th century treatment by herbs was enough spread method of treatment in Azerbaijan. But healers perceived appearance of new, modern medicines as something strange.
  “Molla Nasraddin” – popular Azerbaijani magazine of that time, which was of great importance in medicine education, criticized such kinds of remains of the past, ridiculed backwardness of healers-evils of that time, their ignorant treatment of modern knowledge in medicine. For instance, a caricature called “Holy Bukhara” (painted by Azim Azimzade) was given in the 20th issue of the magazine (1911). Here the image of Bukhara emir, doubtfully treating recommendations of the doctor about a new medicine.
caption: Hasan bey Zardabi
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