History of Islamic Medicine 2

Mirza Ali Akbar Khan Nafisi, known as “Nazem al-Atebba” (Head of Physicians), (1846 – 1923) Kerman - Iran; famous physician and scholar in the period of Qajar (Persian dynasty which ruled from 1779 till 1923). Studied the primary sciences and philosophy under great masters in Kerman. In 1865, went to Tehran and studied medicine in Dar al-Fonun school. He was graduated in 1872, then built a hospital in European style by order of the Qajar shah, Naser al-Din Shah, and was the manager of the hospital up to 1881. In 1892, cholera spread in Tehran;
most of the physicians escaped but Nazem al-Atebba bravely stayed and treated patients, therefore was appointed as the physician court.

During the reign of the fourth Qajar king, Naser-ad-Din Shah (who reigned from 1848 1896), the Chief Minister, Amir Kabir, was involved in modernization of Iran. He founded the first modern higher educational institute in Iran the so called Dar al-Fonun (House of Techniques) in 1851. One of the subjects taught there was medicine; now, it is considered a major step in promulgation of modern medicine in Iran. Initially, students studying at Dar al-Fonun were mainly taught by Austrians with the aid of local translators. However, after 1860, teachers in the field of medicine were multinational.