[OTTOMAN EXPEDITION OF CAPPADOCIA FOR THE 1911 CHOLERA EPIDEMIC] Konya Sihhiye Müfettisligi'nin 16 Tesrinievvel 1327 tarihli rapordur ki Ürgüp'te zuhur eden koleraya dairdir [i.e., This is the report presented to the Konya Sanitary Inspectorate on the 16th of Teshrin-i Evvel, 1327, which is related to the cholera outbreak in Ürgüp in the year 1327. It includes the province's sanitary topography and health map. In addition to cholera, the report contains information about diseases such as measles, scarlet fever, and other illnesses of the period. The second section has the following title: "The 'Muslim Sanitary' report submitted to the Üsküp District Governor, with responses written according to the regulations of the Mecelle-i Memâlik-i Osm

Original registry book bound in grey Art Nouveau cloth. All edges marbled. The endpapers are printed with "The English Manufactory of Book and Register." The front cover bears the printed title "?" (Zugologion) in Greek. Occasional foxing, otherwise, a fine copy. Demy 8vo (22 x 15 cm). In Ottoman Turkish (Arabic script). 52 pages are written out of approximately 200 blank pages, containing a complete report, one folding hand-drawn coloured map, and three tables. Extremely rare and unpublished Ottoman manuscript report documenting the Cholera Expedition organized by the Konya Province Medical Inspectorate during the epidemic in Prokopi (Ürgüp) in 1911 and presented to the Konya Sanitary Inspectorate on October 16, 1911. This detailed report offers a firsthand account not only of the cholera outbreak but also of other prevalent diseases in the region, including measles, frengi (syphilis, pox), various types of humma (fevers), and more than fifteen other conditions, along with notes on their frequency. It features a folded, hand-drawn, and coloured map titled Ürgüp Bölgesi Saglik Haritasi [i.e., Prokopi Region Sanitary and Epidemic Map], which provides invaluable information on the demographic structure of the area. The report also includes three statistical tables recording demographic, historical, and religious data under the headings "Muslim" and "Non-Muslim". Dated 1329 AH at the end of the first 10-page report. The second part is titled "Mecelle-i Memâlik-i Osmaniye'ye Ait Minvallere Cevabât Yazilarak Üsküp Kaymakamligi'na Takdim Olunan Müslüman Sihhiye Raporu" [i.e., Muslim Health Report Submitted to the Ürgüp (Prokopi) District Governor]. Following this, the next chapter, titled "Usûl-i Sihhiye" [i.e., Sanitary Method], provides detailed information on various epidemics, their historical contexts, treatments, and preventive measures. The manuscript is highly legible, written neatly in black, blue, and red ink. The Ottoman lands, serving as a bridge between Asia and Europe, were repeatedly devastated by epidemic diseases that emerged at various times. In the 19th century, the primary source of these outbreaks was cholera morbus, which originated in India, in the lower Bengal delta between the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. By the early 19th century, cholera had become a global threat. It first appeared within Ottoman territories in 1822 and continued to reemerge in subsequent outbreaks. Due to its strategic geographic position, the Ottoman Empire was particularly vulnerable, and cholera caused significant loss of life throughout the 19th century. Even by the early 20th century, cholera remained a serious public health problem. The years from 1910 to 1913 marked one of the most disastrous periods in the history of the Ottoman Empire. The cholera epidemic was a major factor contributing to this calamity. Early cases were diagnosed on July 15, 1910, in Erzurum, imported from Russia, after which the disease quickly spread within the empire. Cholera reached Istanbul on September 1 and spread rapidly. This alarming situation necessitated the mobilization of all civilian and military resources. Despite these efforts, Istanbul, with its intense human traffic, became a major center of cholera in the empire. During the same period, cases also entered Iraq from Iran and spread from Italy to Libya, fueling outbreaks in adjacent regions. This wave of epidemic subsided by January 1911. According to official records, between July 15, 1910, and January 12, 1911, cholera claimed 4,023 lives. However, in May 1911, cholera reappeared in Samsun and rapidly spread throughout the empire, infecting 18,876 people, of whom 12,143 died. The crises continued through 1912 and 1913, years during which the foundations of the Ottoman Empire were further weakened by the Balkan Wars, military defeats, territorial losses, an influx of refugees, and the devastating toll of the ongoing cholera epidemic. Due to the chaos of the period,

Lingue: Turkish, Ottoman (1500-1928)