TRADITIONAL METHODS USED FOR CONTROLLING ANIMAL DISEASES IN IRAN

In ancient times in Iran, infectious diseases of animals and human bei ngs were referred to as choleraic diseases. Rhazes (9th century), foll owed by Avicenna (10th century), Jorjani (11th century) and others, ha d specific opinions on the cause and effect relationship in these dise ases, which recall the fermentation theory of Louis Pasteur In ancient Iran, the methods adopted for veterinary procedures were those of gen eral theoretical and practical medicine, including the humoral theory, accurate diagnosis, signs and symptoms, and the prescription of herba l and mineral medicines or substances of animal origin. If herbal trea tment failed, cauterisation and surgery were used. When refractory and contagious infectious diseases occurred, animals were evacuated from the infected region, in order to preserve their health, with resort to the mercy of Allah (God) as a final remedy. Iranian scientists of anc ient times had interesting views on rabies. A kind of serotherapy was used for treating persons bitten by rabid dogs. Vaccination was perfor med many centuries ago by using dried smallpox lesions. In Baluchistan (Iran), infants were encouraged to play with and touch the teats of c ows affected with cowpox, in order to immunise the children against sm allpox, and this was centuries before the discovery of smallpox vaccin e by Edward Jenner. Camelpox was also used for human immunisation. In the case of caprine pleuropneumonia, an extract or juice was obtained from the lungs of affected animals and was inactivated by treatment wi th certain herbal medicines which had a disinfectant effect. A thread coated with this extract was passed through the ear of healthy goats t o render them immune. The author lists various diseases and their trea tment. This work forms part of detailed research by the author with re ference to some 2,200 books and many ancient manuscripts on the histor y of veterinary science in Iran.