Abstract:

Dr. Raşit Tahsin (Tuğsavul), known as the founder of the psychiatric branch in Turkey, published his book "Seririyat-i Akliye Leksi" in 1920. The author states that the book consists of lessons about mental illnesses which he has been teaching since 1312 (1906) . There are different opinions about the classification of melancholy, one of the oldest known diseases, today according to psychiatric diagnosis criteria. In this study, the aim of the book is to learn about psychiatric knowledge and practices in the Ottoman Medicine in the beginning of the twentieth century by studying the data related to melancholy. The relevant parts of the book written with Ottoman letters have been translated into today's Turkish. The subjects related to melancholy in the book are evaluated according to the psychiatric knowledge of the period and the diagnostic criteria of DSM-5. In the book, melancholy, under the title of manic-depressive diseases, is classified into a different group of early depression diseases. The main symptoms of the disease are a decrease in memory power, trouble, intense sadness and weakening of will. The other signs mentioned include illusion, hallucinations and hypocrisy. Sleeping treatment, isolation, warm bathing and drug treatment are recommended. Diagnosis, symptoms and therapy of melancholy reflect the modern psychiatric knowledge of the period. The diagnosis and symptoms of melancholy are consistent with the diagnosis of major depressive disorders according to the DSM-5 diagnosis criteria. Two of the events given as an example meet the melancholic indicator of major depressive disorder, one is the psychotic indicator.

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