Illustrations of Hernia Surgery in the Early Period of the Ottoman Empire by Serefeddin Sabuncuoglu

Abstract

Background Imperial Surgery (Cerrahiyyetu'l- Haniyye), penned by Serefeddin Sabuncuoglu (C.E. 1385-1468), is an impressive medical book that was written in Turkish using the Arabic alphabet, containing color miniature drawings and human figures, depicted in a fantastic style. The purpose of this report is to present this unique contribution to the literature on the known history of hernia surgery. Methods Imperial Surgery is divided into three chapters, each of which is divided into sections that, in general, present patients and diseases in the form of case reports. Some sections detail the procedures to be performed on a patient, the surgical instruments used and the positioning of the patient, which are described in detail with color miniature drawings. Conclusions Serefeddin Sabuncuoglu was a great surgeon in Turkish medical history. Given all of the hernia-related information in literature, the treatise written by Sabuncuoglu in fifteenth century and its suggested approaches to hernias show clearly the place that he should hold in the history of the art of healing. Hernia surgery is described step-by-step under four headings in two chapters, supported by four miniature drawings, including surgical tools.