Plants used in treatment at the Ottoman Palace in the 18th century

This thesis examines the plants used as medicine in Saray-ı Cedid in the 18th century. The primary research focus includes the names of the plants, their use in drug preparation, and the diseases they were beneficial for. Despite the encounter of Ottoman medicine with Western culture in the 18th century, the thesis argues that traditional practices persisted, asserting the continued primary role of plants in treatment. Documents from the Ottoman Archives, specifically from the Presidency of the State Archives of the Republic of Turkey, were utilized to identify the plants used in Saray-ı Cedid. The contents of these plants and the formulations in which they were used are meticulously explained by comparing them with medical works prepared in previous periods. Thus, the thesis brings forth a comprehensive perspective on the use of plants in treatment in the Ottoman Empire by unveiling the plants collectively from works written in the field of herbal treatment (phytotherapy) in Ottoman medicine.