[A review of Sanizade Mehmed Ataullah Efendi's book: Kanunu'l Cerrahin].

Abstract

Sanizade, who lived in the first half of the 19th century, is an important physician for his great contributions to the Ottoman Medicine, by transfering European medical knowledge. He has important books concerning history, as well as medicine. In one of his works on medicine, Hamse-i Sanizade, a work of five valumes, the volume titled Kanunü'l Cerrahin (the Law of Surgery), deals with surgery. Written in 1810s, the book could be published only in 1828, after Sanizade's death. In the introduction of the book, diseases necessitating surgery and surgical operations are described in brief. In the part concerning diseases requiring surgery; swellings, diseases of the urogenital organs, hard and soft tumors, injuries and wounds and methods of their treatment are dealt with. As an additional part, orthopedical disorders, such as fractures, dislocations and other skeletal disorders are described. Surgical operations are written aiming to train in the field. The book is not composed in the classical style of the Ottoman surgery books, which implies that the book might be a translation form an Italian work or it may be an anthology.