Ottoman Surgical Treatises and Their Influences on Modern Neurosurgery in Turkey

Objective To introduce the authors of 6 prominent Ottoman surgical treatises, to present the chapters that relate to present-day neurosurgery, and to discuss their influence on the establishment of modern Turkish neurosurgery. Methods Neurosurgery-related chapters of 6 prominent Ottoman surgical treatises and their role i the establishment of modern neurosurgery in Turkey are discussed. Results Neurosurgery-related chapters of “Hulasa-i Tıbb” by Surgeon Mesud (Summary of Medicine), “Cerrahhiyet-al Haniyye” by Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu (Imperial Surgery), “Cerrahname” by an unknown author (Surgical Treatise), “Ala'im-i Cerrahin” by Surgeon Ibrahim (Wonders of Surgeons) “Cerrahname” by Ali Munşi of Bursa (Surgical Treatise), and “The law of surgeons” by Şanizade Ataullah Mehmed Efendi (Kanun-al Cerrahin) were analyzed. Conclusions These treatises, including sections on neurosurgery-related topics, were important influences on the establishment of contemporary neurosurgery in modern Turkey.