A Comparative Study of the Structure and Function of the Digestive System and Liver from the Perspective of Hakim Jorjani in Zakhireh Khwarazmshahi and Modern Medical Sources
Tārīkh-i pizishkī i.e., Medical History,
Vol. 17 (1404),
6 May 2025
,
Page 1-13
https://doi.org/10.22037/mhj.v17i.46565
Abstract
Background and Aim: This research aims to conduct a comparative study of the structure and function of the digestive system and liver, as well as the stages of digestion and absorption of food from the perspective of Hakim Jorjani in the book Zakhireh Khwarazmshahi and compare it with the principles of modern medicine. Zakhireh Khwarazmshahi, as one of the most important Persian medical texts in the fifth century AH, provides a comprehensive look at various aspects of medicine, including the anatomy and physiology of the human body.
Methods: This study was conducted using a library method and a comparative analysis. Initially, the book Zakhireh Khwarazmshahi was examined from a medical perspective and then the contents were analyzed and compared using reliable sources of modern medicine.
Ethical Considerations: In this research all ethical and trustworthiness principles have been fully observed in referring to documents.
Results: The results showed that Hakim Jorjani correctly addressed the basic concepts in the field of the structure and function of organs, especially the liver and the digestive system. Many of his theories are consistent with the scientific findings of current medicine. Jorjani's descriptions of the processes of digestion and absorption of food, the role of bile and the gallbladder, as well as the enterohepatic circulation of bile, are remarkably consistent with modern medicine.
Conclusion: A comparative study of traditional and modern medicine shows that the Zakhireh Khwarazmshahi, as a valuable scientific resource, contains principles and concepts that are still valid and usable in modern medical science. This research highlights the importance of combining traditional and modern medicine in improving and developing treatment methods and utilizing ancient knowledge.
- Traditional medicine
- Zakhireh Khwarazmshahi
- Hakim Jorjani
- liver
- Digestive System
- Modern Medicine
How to Cite
References
Shariat Torbaghan S. Medicine and its Education in Iran. Tehran: Chogan Publications in Cooperation with the Research Center for Ethics and History of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; 2010. [Persian]
Bayhaqi Z. Tattameh Sewan al-Hikmah. Tehran: Institute for Studies in Medical History Persian and Complementary Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences; 2008. [Persian]
Shahrouzi SH. Nozhat al-Arvah va Rowzat al-Afarah. Tehran: Institute for Studies in Medical History Persian and Complementary Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences; 2008. [Persian]
Nayyer Noori A. Iran's Valuable Contribution to World Culture (two volumes). 1st ed. Tehran: Society for the Appreciation of Cultural Works and Dignitaries; 1998. Vol.2. [Persian]
Najmabadi M. History of Medicine in Iran after Islam. Tehran: University of Tehran; 1996. [Persian]
Hatami H, Razavi SM, Eftekhar Ardabili H, Majlesi F. Public Health. Tehran: Arjomand Publications; 2019. [Persian]
Jorjani I. Zakhireh Kharazmshahi, a Photocopy of an Offset Manuscript. Tehran: Iranian Culture Foundation Publications; 2006. [Persian]
Tajbakhsh H. History of Veterinary Medicine and Medicine. Tehran: Tehran University Press; 1994. [Persian]
Hall J. Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology (Guyton Physiology). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016. p.22-23, 801, 809-811, 827-829.
McQuilken. The mouth, stomach and intestines. Anesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine. 2021; 22(5): 330-335.
Patricia J, Dhamoon A. Physiology, Digestion. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing; 2025. PMID: 31334962. Bookshelf ID: NBK544242.
Haaga J, Boll B. CT and MRI of the Whole Body. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017. p.1192, 1269.
Loscalzo J, Fauci A, Kasper D, Hauser S, Longo D, Jameson J. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. New York, NY: McGraw Hill; 2018. p.2430.
Cashore WJ. The neurotoxicity of bilirubin. Clinics in Perinatology. 1990; 17(2): 437-447.
Shapiro SM, Nakamura H. Bilirubin and the auditory system. Journal of Perinatology. 2001; 21(1): S52-5.
Wu AH, Levy WC, Welch KB, Neuberg GW, O'Connor CM, Carson PE, et al. Association between bilirubin and mode of death in severe systolic heart failure. The American Journal of Cardiology. 2013; 111(8): 1192-1197.
Lee M, Jang M, Jo J, Yu B, Lee G, Lee J, et al. Hyperbilirubinemia as a risk factor for mortality and morbidity in trauma patients. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2023; 12(13): 4203.
Abdel-Misih SR, Bloomston M. Liver anatomy. Surgical Clinics. 2010; 90(4): 643-653.
Lautt WW. Hepatic vasculature: A conceptual review. Gastroenterology. 1977; 73(5): 1163-1169.
Hochachka PW. The metabolic implications of intracellular circulation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 1999; 96(22): 12233-12239.
- Abstract Viewed: 166 times
- pdf Downloaded: 105 times