British doctors and hospitals in the Ottoman Empire during the Crimean war

Medicine, one of the most important and current subjects of human history, has always maintained its importance. A healthy condition in which people are in a state of good physical, mental and social well being, encountered the most inhuman scenes in wartime. Eventually the battle is not only the confrontation of two armies physically, but it is a struggle to be revealed in every field like science, technique, and culture. The Crimean War (1853-1856) which was regarded as the first modern world war, a milestone for European political history as much as it was for the Ottoman Empire's history. Crimean War, along with being the first "united action'' that Ottoman army took place was also known as the only war that England joined in Continental Europe between 1815 and 1914. One of the most important lessons for all sides in war was understanding of the inadequancies of military health services. Especially the lack of medical staff and equipment in British hospitals at the beginning of the war, made it clear how much the army ignored military health services while planning the war. In the study, along with taking consideration the history of Crimean War briefly, the health conditions of British army, distresses faced by the soldiers, plauges, the situation of the hospitals, regulations like materializing prefabricated civilian hospitals in İzmir and Çanakkale for the first time; the arrival of a group of Florence Nightingale and accompanying nurses to İstanbul and the initiation of the first practice of female nurse in the army; use of civilian doctors in the army for the first time have been examined. In addition, in the context of the documents in Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives, the transcriptions of letters written by doctors themselves have also been accomplished health situation of Ottoman army and the issue of sending surgeons from Europe to Ottoman army were discussed. Keywords: Crimean War, Ottoman Army, British Army, Civilian Hospitals, Civilian Doctors, Florence Nightingale, Mary Seacole.