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

Abstract

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, which broke out in 1907 had great effects on the island.With the outbreak of the plague, precautions had to be taken in many places, especially in the island and Istanbul, to which it was connected. 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, infected two confectioner’s apprentices who came into contact with the dead mice in the sacks; the number of contacts increased after one of the shopkeepers, Grocery Yorgi, threw the mouse away. The symptoms of the plague in the baker’s apprentice were understood from the inguinal swelling. The plague also 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 and used as a treatment. The plague, which first appeared on Lesbos Island in 1907, continued for three months; was prevented by quarantines and tight cordons. 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. In this study the diseases that occurred in Lesbos Island and how the plague, which occurred in 1907, affected the island and surrounding sanjaks were examined based on the documents. The studies of the Ottoman Empire especially on protection of public health and how they struggled with diseases were discussed.