فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

Background and Aim: Public health and healthcare developments during the Qajar era are among the significant topics in the social history of this period. This study aimed to investigate the state of public health and healthcare services in Qajar-era prisons. Methods: This descriptive-analytical research utilized primary documents, travelogues and recent studies to examine hygiene and healthcare conditions in Qajar-era prisons. Ethical Considerations: Throughout the study, principles of academic integrity including trustworthiness, citation accuracy, source originality and impartiality in data analysis were strictly adhered to. Results: The findings revealed that prison locations and sanitary standards were largely neglected by the Qajar government. Prisons primarily served as tools for torture, punishment and retribution, with rehabilitation and hygiene considerations deemed irrelevant. High mortality rates among prisoners stemmed from inadequate sanitation, overcrowded and pest-infested environments (e.g., lice and rodents) and a lack of healthcare access. These dire conditions even provided a sense of "peace of mind" for wardens tasked with tormenting inmates. Travelogues documented prisoners enduring years of deplorable conditions, deprived of basic amenities such as grooming, which led to the spread of diseases within their families upon release. Conclusion: The study underscores the severe deficiency or complete absence of public health infrastructure and healthcare services in Qajar prisons. While personal hygiene was practiced in society due to religious norms, the absence of prison baths, infestations of pests and rampant disease outbreaks exacerbated the squalid conditions. Historical records and travelogues corroborate widespread illness among prisoners and the government’s indifference to substantive reforms, even in the late Qajar period.