Colored illustrations of pediatric otorhinolaryngologic surgical techniques of a Turkish surgeon, Serefeddin Sabuncuoglu, in the 15th century

Abstract

Objectives: Serefeddin Sabuncuoglu is known to be the author of the first illustrated surgery book, Cerrahiyyetu'l Haniyye (Imperial Surgery), which was written in Turkish in 1465 a.d. at the age of 80. The purpose of this paper is to describe his contributions to pediatric otorhinolaryngology.

Results: Cerrahiyyetu'l Haniyye consists of three chapters totaling 412 pages, in which there are 191 sections dealing with a wide range of surgical specialties, including pediatric otorhinolaryngologic surgery. Sabuncuoglu explains some of child diseases and their treatment in a whole section, and gives information on the same subject in relevant part of sections. The illustrations he provides are not at a state of the art level with those of his contemporaries, but they bear a great importance considering the attitudes of Islam to the art of painting. For each section, a single, poetic sentence describes in detail the diagnosis, classification and surgical technique. Some authors have claimed that he only translated Ebu Kasim-al Zahravi (Albucasis)'s Al-Tasrif (Textbook of Surgery) and added the illustrations of the surgical techniques. Even if this is accepted, the illustrations are enough to entitle this work as a milestone. Serefeddin Sabuncuoglu describes medical and surgical management pediatric otorhinolaryngologic diseases such as harelip, hypertrophy of adenoids, atresia of external auditory canal, a foreign body in external auditory canal, short frenulum, abscess of head, mass and abscess of neck in children and unpleasant odor in nose in his textbook.

Conclusions: Although not recognized and rewarded in his time, Serefeddin Sabuncuoglu was a great surgeon in Turkish medical history. The sections on children in his book are of great importance in pediatric otorhinolaryngology which became a different speciality in the last century. Writing his book at his 80's, he deserves to be considered as a distinguished scientist, medical doctor and illustrator of his era, considering the insulting and discriminating ideas toward women and children, especially girls, at that period.