Endometrial Cancer in Unani/Persian Medicine (۹th–۱۹th Century) Compared with Modern Perspectives

Endometrial pathology occupies a significant, though underexplored, place in the medical literature of classical Unani/Persian medicine (۹th–۱۹th century CE). This historiographical study examines how prominent physicians—such as Rhazes, Avicenna, al-Jurjani, and Abulcasis—conceptualized what they termed saratan (sarataan) or ‘urūd (urooz) of the uterus: a condition characterized by hard, brawny swellings, ulceration, foul discharge, and progressive emaciation. Drawing on primary textual sources, the paper traces the evolution of diagnostic criteria, humoral etiologies (particularly melancholic predominance), and therapeutic strategies—including dietary regulation, phlebotomy, herbal suppositories, and abzan (herbal sitz baths). Rather than framing Persian medicine as “alternative,” this analysis situates it within its own epistemic framework, emphasizing its internal coherence and clinical empiricism. The study reveals a sophisticated, multi-stage model of uterine malignancy that reflects centuries of cumulative observation and theoretical refinement. By foregrounding the history of concepts rather than clinical comparison, this work contributes to a deeper understanding of gynecological knowledge in the Persian medical tradition and underscores the value of contextual historiography in the history of medicine.

کلیدواژه ها:

Unani/Persian medicine ، History of medicine ، Historiography ، Female ، Endometrial cancer ، Uterus