The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-13
III TURKISH DOCTOR
DEMANDS THAT HIS FEE DE AS
suRED OR PAID IN ADVANCE.
Only Two Medical Schools in the
Turkish Empire-Taik with nm
Armenian student.

According to Scontad Hovosapian, the
young Armenian attending the Central Med
ical College of this city, the practice of med
icine is quite a new study in Turkey. The
young man was educated at a mission
school in C~onstantinople. and after complet-
ing the course he decided upon the prac-
tice of medicine as a profession, but as no
means were offered him at home for prep
aration and as he thought the advantages
were of an inferior grade he set his face
westward and finally arrived in indianapolis
last March, after a hard trip. lie arrived
here penniless, but good fortune smiled
upon him. and a course at the Central Col
lege was offered him.
I'm my country" he said n few days
ago to q Journal reporter, "the study of
medicine still remains in its ancestral
state. despite the progress OF the medical
world. There are but two schools In the
country where medicine can be studied. and
they are both at Constantinople. one Is
for military doctors and the other for pri-
waite doctors. They both are under the
charge OF the government. The former
school is free OF all expense. but In ex-
change for this free tuition the graduated
doctors must serve five years In the army.
il IN very seldom that he quits at the end
OF this time, because no matter whether
haR NR&F HfN V@N W. 49, fR $500 wv w EN
airy from the government, has all OF his ex-
pcnsce paid. ana he has reason 70 cherish
u hope that by and by his degree can be
raised to that OF a pasha. For this reason
the military college IL always crowded,
while the private school has few scholars.
The course OF study Is seven years, includ-
Ing two years OF preliminary preparation In
French and Turkish. The two colleges are
copied after the schools OF France. with
French textbooks and French professors.
The result Is not all that could be desired.
the medical "a student stu IN l,hilstyy w seems q rests
on a doctor. The medical students are the
most reckless and jovial element of the pop,
ulation. Their Ideas do not pass beyond
fine dress Injuries and gallantries."
But how do they manage to pass their
Hovosapian gave a significant shrug OF his
shoulders and replied; ,..
in Turkey prevails In the medical schools.
The bakshish IL the power greater than
brains or hard study. The students have
can be found around the .theaters or the
cafes. How much they lose from their
which must be slipped. into the hands of
the examiner, as the Americans say does
the business"
this system of bribery"
ITO some extent they do: Many OF the
son unless the fee is paid beforehand or
assured. Oftentimes they will stop to wran-
gle ABOUT III SlLG u tIN y bSApAS ftA
ing out. The best doctors have one or two
hours a week set aside when they receive
p a5ant sba at fe seeir No o,ii Snsin Mso e aan f be CON-
Quoted in Turkey without the blessed pride.
You have to pay bakshish to have 2 letter
ment of Constantinople ran to a IRE ana
then refused TO do any work until the
a ann nwn 81 Of the burning building. How
can doctors or anybody else do anything
under these conditions TO advance the coun-
fpyO f 10
I'm the two colleges I mentioned Chris
tan subjects are nominally allowed TO ell
fer. but practically they are prohibited from
graduating. There are so many difficuities
and SO many bakshishes in the way OF the
christian student that he has a poor
chance' Very few Christians have succeed
ed in graduating from the schools. as they
are distinctly Turkish in both religion and
customs. AS a result, the Christians who
desire to study medicine go to Paris, Wen
ma or America. / came here because the
American College stands very nign IN nur-
ular. but the American doctors are regard
ed more favorably than the English doc
Are there many doctors in Turkey"
mot enough, and all of them are in Con-
stan1lno tbronpbnut the empire for want Of
medical attention. The women are the doc
tors for the poor people. every good wom-
an must know the use of the so-called rem
edies for diseases, and every house has a
stock of dried herbs and roots. These are
collected from the mountains ana mis- dur
ing the summertime and carefully kept for
use in case Of sickness in the family. The
women believe a great deal In severity, and
i remember how my grandmother treated
me, and / can still feel the pain In my
bones. She used to sive me terrible medl,
have pretended to be quite well to escape
her treatment
Are there any magiclans in Turkey who
pretend to effect eures?' was a question
asked. -, 49,. FORM , ,,,ra class =, a.
1850. A - ma nF aAn q 1hAn a
about the streets OF Constantinople and ev-
erywhere else in Turkey. They are Tur-
have long white boards. They generally
choose for their office q place before a
mosque dior or a fountain. They sit, with
crossed legs. on a small piece Of mating,
with a small square table before them. on
which are displayed all kinds OF knives.
a few heads of garlic. small pieces of glass.
copper coins and everything of an extraor-
binary nature one can imagine. Their fee
for treating a case Is about 100 paras. or
equivalent to 70 cents In American money.
The treatment for every disease and pain
n the same. The patient Is made to sit be-
fore the priest on his knees. The so-callad
doctor then puts his hands on the patients
head and muttcrai some meaningless words.
now and then turning MS eyes toward
passed successfully over the patients head
and over his body, and all the tlme tho
the patient Il pronounced cured. If by
chance he does recover the news sprca as
until It Is In eyerybody's mouth. and the
f1lfttNNlul ipHkf' piattiliNlttf hbtN ~ DIX
business for r. time. A doctor can spend
years and years IN study. yet never In his
practice make half what one OF these lazy
Turks make In IA quiet and lazy way"
"who attends to the dental work OF tho
people?
's'The BARRIERS are the dentists. They do
not ATTEMPT to treat the teeth, but they
null them when they ache. They have no
modern tools to work with. and the pa
tent suffers great pain. When I get
through my studies ! am going back home
and DO what ! can 10 relieve the sunerinfs
OF my people. There IL an excellent chance
10 do a great deal or good throughout Tur-
key"