Exploring the First Decade of the Anatomische Gesellschaft: Europe’s Oldest Anatomical Society and a Comparative Perspective from Ottoman Medicine

Authors : Alpen Ortug, Işılsu Ezgi Uluışık, Gursel Ortug

Pages : 235-258

Doi:10.26650/oba.1398100

View : 44 | Download : 41

Publication Date : 2024-08-02

Article Type : Research

Abstract :This study aimed to assess the status of anatomy as a scientific discipline within Ottoman medicine in the context of modern medicine and to compare it with other contemporary schools of thought while also comparing the progress of European anatomy through the first decade of the Anatomische Gesellschaft. Starting in 1839, Ottoman authorities endeavored to establish a European-style foundation for anatomy, recognized as the oldest and most fundamental branch of medicine by the medical community, while also forging extensive relations with the European scientific community, including inviting physicians from central Europe to modernize the field of anatomy and promote comprehensive education in Ottoman medicine. We analyzed the supplements of the Anatomische Anzeiger journal (Verhandlungen der Anatomischen Gesellschaft, Anatomische Gesellschaft) for the first ten years of congress submissions, specifically focusing on presentations, demonstrations, and the participation of international physicians and scientists. Additionally, we searched the online archives of the Ottoman state archives for invitations to scientific meetings and information about the involvement of scientists. This revealed that despite the active participation of many scientists in international meetings other than anatomy, particularly in research related to public health, there was a noticeable absence of contributions in the field of anatomy. This reveals that the modernization efforts of Ottoman medicine were primarily intended to define educational goals, with scientific research and application significantly neglected during this period. Our argument is supported by the fact that scientists trained in the same tradition, primarily from Vienna, played a significant role in both their quantity and experimental studies within the scientific activities of the Anatomische Gesellschaft considered in this study.
Keywords : Anatomi cemiyeti, anatomi araştırmaları, On dokuzuncu yüzyıl Osmanlı tıbbı