[Tuhfetü'l-Tib, as a pioneer periodical of the medical history]

Abstract

Tuhfetü'l-Tib is a Turkish medical history periodical published regularly every two weeks in Istanbul since December 27th, 1867. Its collection comprises totally 15 issues, every one of which is consisted of 16 pages with a hard cover, printed at the Maltepe Military Hospital printing press for more than seven months. As far as we know, Tuhfetü'l-Tib's last issue was dated on July 21st, 1868. The aim of its publication was to introduce contemporary medical knowledge by translating articles from the respected academic periodicals in the West. Among the issues wer have studied, twenty chapters were about gynecology, while twenty five ones about the newborn diseases. Tuhfetü'l-Tib is the second Turkish medical review ever printed in Turkey, succeeding Vakayi-i Tibbiye (1849). It is also the first periodical in Turkey, publishing articles on gynecology and pediatrics. Having played an important role in struggle for the Turkish education at the Imperial Medical School, it was issued on the basis of the principles defended by the Ottoman Association of Medicine.