Abstract:

Mental and physical disabilities can be congenital or acquired at any stage in life. As in any other society, these disabilities were also prevalent among the Ottomans. Accordingly, prostheses, also called “artificial limbs,” were manufactured to replace limbs lost as a result of illness or accident. Commonly used prostheses include those for legs, arms, and eyes. Although prostheses were already manufactured in Europe in the 19th century, initiatives to introduce them in Istanbul began in the reign of Abdülhamid II in the late 19th century. The archival documents from this period typically relate instances of demands made for the manufacture of prosthetic legs. Skilled individuals were sent to Paris to attend a workshop for and undergo training in manufacturing prostheses. In addition, factories were established at various units of the Imperial Dockyards (Tersane-i Amire) and in the State Gun Factory (Tophane-i Amire). Private workshops producing prosthetic devices were also prevalent. The demands for prostheses were evaluated by the relevant institutions and the expenditures incurred for most of them were covered by the state in the capacity of its identification as a social state.

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