Abstract:

Taking human health to the center has made medical science one of the most interesting areas throughout history. Especially in times and societies where epidemic diseases such as tuberculosis, plague, leprosy, malaria, cholera, and Syphilis, which significantly threaten social health and cause mass deaths, accelerate, physicians, have written works both about the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases and to inform the public about these diseases. One of these physicians is Mustafa Behçet Efendi, one of the essential names in Turkish medical history. In addition to medical science, Behçet Efendi, who had the best foreign language knowledge among the Ottoman physicians and was a high figure in the provinces, brought many medical works in Arabic, Persian, Latin, and Italian. The fact that he wrote not only in medical history but also in natural sciences and political history shows his versatility. In this article, the treatise “Risâle-i Frengi”, which includes the origin, symptoms, and treatment of syphilis disease, translated from the translation of Physician Mustafa Behçet Efendi into Italian while it was originally Latin, was examined. The work has been translated into many European languages and published many times. This study aimed to draw attention to the existence of this precious work. Firstly, it outlines the spread of the disease through the Ottoman state and the measures taken by the authorities against the disease; then, it provides information about the life and works of Mustafa Behçet Efendi and presents a general introduction of the content of the work.

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