[A life dedicated to pathology: Hamdi Suad Aknar].

Abstract

Hamdi Suad Aknar [1873-1936] was one of the pioneers of pathological anatomy and cancer researches in Türkiye. He completed his education in the military medical school in 1899. Then he started to work at Gülhane, which was a school for training military physicians as interns and residents. He was sent to Germany by Robert Rieder, head of Gülhane, for further education. He got his specialization certificate at the University of Leipzig. When he returned to Gülhane he was appointed as an instructor and started courses of pathological anatomy. He taught pathology at the Mekteb-i Tibbiye-i Mülkiye and the Darulfünun Medical School, too. In 1933, as a result of the university reform, he was dismissed. When he died, he was the head of the pathological anatomy laboratory of the Gureba Hospital in Istanbul. When he returned from Germany, Aknar modernized the laboratory of the pathological anatomy department of Gülhane, which was the first in its field in Türkiye. He founded a pathology museum, which consisted of 1800 macroscopic pieces, in the medical school and prepared a collection of microscopic pieces, as well. He concentrated on cancer research and studied in the field of cell and tissue pathology. He founded a cancer research department in his laboratory in the university. The Society for Research and Strugle Against Cancer (Kanser Mücadele ve Taharri Cemiyeti) was established in 1932, on Hamdi Suad's proposal. He wrote two textbooks for students: General Pathological Anatomy (Teşrih-i Marazi-i Umumi) and Autopsy and Pathological Anatomy Diagnosis and Its Importance in Forensic Medicine (Feth-i Meyyit ve Teşrih-i Marazi Teşhisi ve Tibb-i Adlide Ehemmiyeti.) He was granted a prize of service by the Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Foundation (Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknik Araştirma Kurumu) in 1974, 38 years after his death.