Reflection of the Prevalence of Malaria in Travelogues and Memoirs of the Qajar Era

 Malaria is an infectious disease caused by the bite of Anopheles mosquitoes. This disease was common throughout the Qajar era in the country. Malaria has been persistent in some areas and sometimes the spread of its malignant form led to mass deaths. The aim of this study is to investigate the causes of its prevalence in Iran at that time.

 This research is written in descriptive and analytical method. By referring to libraries and reviewing historical sources (especially travelogues and memoirs) data related to the spread of malaria in Qajarian Iran and common causes and treatment methods of this disease have been collected and noted and then sorted, analyzed and processed.

Ethical Considerations:

 In this research while referring to texts and sources, honesty and trustworthiness have been taken into consideration.

 The results of this study showed that malaria was widely distributed in the country and both nature and humans have played a role in its spread. Swampy areas and improper use of water were the main reasons for the spread of this disease, but people unknowingly considered factors such as bedbug bites and planting crops such as rice and dates to be effective in its emergence. They resorted to traditional methods of treatment to deal with the disease and benefited from the availability of quince.

 In the high prevalence of malaria in the country, both natural factors and human behaviors such as lifestyle and economic activities, especially agriculture has been effective. Health problems and lack of medical services had also made malaria the most common disease in Qajar Iran.