Health and its Dependents in Iranians’ Lifestyle during the Naseri Period from the Perspective of Female Orientalists; A Case Study of the Travelogue of Gertrude Bell and Jane Dieulafoy

 This research studies the health status and its dimensions in the Iranian society of the Naseri period from the perspective of two female orientalists who traveled to different cities during their stay in Iran and wrote about their experiences. It aims to get familiar with the health status, the design of its components and dependents, which will be a foundation for future researches on social studies of health.

 The research method is qualitative and based on the analysis of the travelogues of Dieulafoy and Bell as a document.

Ethical Considerations:

 In this research, honesty and trustworthiness in the use of historical sources have been fully respected.

 Introduction of fatal and epidemic diseases such as cholera, malaria, tuberculosis and typhoid and other common diseases such as digestive diseases, pinworm infection and skin diseases and paying attention to environmental health focusing on water pollution and sewage disposal are among the findings of the research. In addition, it also provides information on the eating habits, nutritional status and physical structure of Iranians of that period.

 Bell and Dieulafoy’s travelogues provide useful information about the general health status and the incidence of various diseases in certain groups (including children) and deepen the population trends in terms of the resulting mortality statistics. Certainly, the respective governments of these orientalists have paid attention to the health dimensions of Iranians in their political and economic evaluations in order to communicate with the Iranian government. Considering the place of public health in the Iranian lifestyle, it can be clearly seen that the lifestyle, including manners, customs, eating habits, clothing and etc. have acted as social components that determine the health of Iranians.