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An early report of using protecting gloves by Ḥakim Mohammad, a Persian surgeon (16th century CE)

Narges Tajik1, Zahra Ghahremani1, Sobhan Ghezloo1

  • 1Department of History of Medicine, School of Persian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Acta Chirurgica Belgica
|April 3, 2025
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

This study reveals that Persian surgeon Ḥakim Mohammad described surgical glove use in the 16th century to prevent disease transmission, predating modern practices by three centuries.

Area of Science:

  • Medical History
  • Surgical Practices
  • Infectious Disease Control

Background:

  • The use of surgical gloves in modern medicine is often traced to the 19th century.
  • Historical evidence suggests earlier origins for protective measures in surgical procedures.

Observation:

  • A 16th-century Persian text, Ḏaḫīre-ye Kāmele by Ḥakim Mohammad, details surgical techniques.
  • The text advises surgeons to use protective finger sheaths made from sheep testicle skin.

Findings:

  • Ḥakim Mohammad recommended these sheaths for wound examination and treatment application.
  • The purpose was to prevent the transmission of diseases through skin and blood contact.

Implications:

  • This indicates a conceptual understanding of surgical gloves for infection control in the 16th century.
  • These findings push back the documented history of surgical glove use by approximately 300 years.
Keywords:
Persian medicinehistory of medicinesurgery

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