[Mental diseases described in "Seririyat-i Akliye Desleri", a work of Raşit Tahsin (Tuğsavul)].

Abstract

Reşit Tahsin (Tuğsavul) is a well known Turkish psychiatrist. He was sent to Germany to study psychiatry and neurology and on his return he started to lecture in the Military Faculty of Medicine. Thus, courses on neurology and psychiatry, formerly carried out under the title of "asabiye", as a part of the internal medicine courses, became an independent course called "Emraz-i Akliye ve Asabiye". Reşit Tahsin's book "Seririyat-i Akliye Dersleri" was published in 1336 (1920). The book consists of two parts; and in the first part, mental diseases are classified and dealt with. In the foreword, Reşit Tahsin, notes that, in composing the first part of his book, he utilized a book of Emil Kraepelin whom he had worked with in Germany. The second part of the book is devoted to cases presented to the medical students. The history of each case, observations of the patients and their diseases, the method of differentiating diagnosis and the prognosis and treatment of diseases are discussed. In the foreword, the author also states that he disregarded the usual composing of medical books of his time; and he preferred to write his book as cynical lectures, after the way in Europe. He adds that be expected this to be an example for books similar to those written by "European masters". In the introduction, the need for and the aim of education on mental diseases is explained. Detailed information on the social aspects of psychiatric patients is also given. This book consists of 56 lectures to medical students and meanwhile it provides information about the psychiatry education during the period.