EPIDEMIC (COMMUNICABLE) DISEASES ON LESBOS ISLAND (1890-1912)

Abstract

The underlying reason for the spread of diseases in the Ottoman Empire was the shortage of hospitals and qualified physicians. Lesbos Island was one of the first places where quarantine was applied in the Ottoman Empire due to its location. Many diseases such as smallpox, measles, cholera, rabies, meningitis, typhoid, and plague were widespread on the island. The plague broke out in 1907, resulting in far-reaching consequences on the island. The outbreak of plague brought along the precautions in many places where it was incident, especially in the island and Istanbul. A bacteriologist was brought from Istanbul and Izmir for the diagnosis of the cases, and measures were taken accordingly. The plague, which spread in a short time, was transmitted to two candy apprentices who came into contact with a dead mouse in the sack; the number of contacts increased after the shopkeeper Grocery Yorgi threw the mouse away. The sickness manifested itself with inguinal swelling in the baker's apprentice. Meanwhile, the plague spread to Anatolia from those who went from Lesbos to Dikili. The government attempted to treat plague with medication. Given the course and spread of the disease, serum was brought from the Pasteur Institute in Paris as a treatment. The plague, which first appeared on Lesbos Island in 1907, was prevented by quarantines and tight cordons for three months. The public was not satisfied with the disease prevention and the assistance provided. In particular, the financing of health maintenance by local municipalities resulted in social unrest. This study aims to throw light on the diseases that occurred in Lesbos Island and how the plague, which occurred in 1907, affected the island and surrounding sanjaks based on the archive documents. It also attempts to explain how the Ottoman Empire exerted various precautions for the maintenance of health in the light of the documents.