The Practitioners' Attitude to Medical Ethics in Qajar Era with an Emphasis on Mirza Jafar Tabib Mashhadi’s Vasaya-ie Hakim

 The achievement of Muslim physicians in medical ethics has been a result of special attention to ethical issues in their profession. This attitude has been fruitful in the light of Islamic teachings and has found a special place in Islamic medical history. Their valuable legacy today can be instrumental in organizing a new Muslim approach to medical ethics.

 The present study has attempted to investigate the status of medical ethics in Qajar era and the ethical practitioners of the time by using a descriptive-analytical approach. It also studies the book of Vasaya-ie Hakim by Mirza Jafar Tabib, a prominent scientist and at the same time the lesser known person from Qajar period, summarizing its instructions and ethical guidelines for how the physician relates to the patient and his family. It finally infers the principles of his medical principles ethics by surveying and analyzing the findings of the research.

In references to the texts, honesty and trustworthiness, citation of the texts used avoidance of bias in inferring the texts or analyzes have been observed.

 The present study shows that paying attention to medical ethics has an important place among Muslims physicians in Qajar era. It is also the basis of the ethical recommendations and guidelines in Vasaya-ie Hakim regarding to the interaction of the physician with the patient and his Family in a framework of six ethical principles consists of trust, trust in God, benefit to the Patient, non-injury, compassion and kindness and justice.

 Hakim Mohammad Hossein Aghili Khorasani, Hakim Mirza Mohammad Taghi Shirazi, Mirza Seyed Ahmad Sharif Tonekaboni, Mirza Ali Hamdani, Ayatollah Seyed Hossein Hakim and Dr.Saeed Khan Kordestani are among the top examples of ethical practitioners in the period. Mirza Jafar Tabib is also one of the Muslims and faithful practitioners who have devoted himself to discussing medical ethics in the time of the decline of Islamic civilization. His ethical advice and tips besides how to deal with the patient are related to the physician's relationship with the patient's family.