Mazhar Osman UZMAN

Mazhar Osman (1884-1951) was an important figure in the field of Turkish mental health and made great contributions to Turkish medicine by establishing the first modern psychiatric hospital in Turkey.

Who is Mazhar Osman Uzman?

Mazhar Osman Uzman was born in Sofulu on May 5, 1884 and died in Istanbul on August 31, 1951. As a specialist in mental and nervous diseases, he pioneered an important transformation in the field of psychiatry in Turkey. In 1904, he graduated from the Military Medical School and started his career as a doctor. After his graduation, he started to work as an assistant teacher in the Department of Mental Medicine at Gülhane Military Hospital. In 1909 and 1911, he traveled to Germany and worked with Alzheimer and Kraepelin, important names in modern psychiatry, and studied with Ziehen in Berlin. The knowledge he acquired during this period left a deep mark on his career and contributed greatly to the development of Turkish psychiatry.

Influence and Legacy

One of Mazhar Osman's greatest contributions was the establishment of Turkey's first modern mental health hospital. In 1924, the necessary permissions were obtained to convert an abandoned barracks in Bakırköy into a mental health hospital and Bakırköy Hospital for Mental and Nervous Diseases was established in 1927. This hospital was an important step as the first modern health institution in the field of psychiatry. Mazhar Osman, who served as the chief physician of the hospital for many years, contributed to Turkish medicine with his innovations. In particular, he established laboratories in serology, neuropathology and experimental psychology and supported research in these fields.

Mazhar Osman was not only a physician and academic, but also the founder of an important association in the field of health. In addition to the Turkish Neuro-Psychiatric Society, he also founded health associations such as the Society for the Struggle against Liquor and contributed to raising awareness of the Turkish people about healthy living. He also wrote important works such as Nervous Diseases (1935-1936) and Pleasurable Poisons (1934), in which he dealt with topics such as psychiatry and addiction.

In 1933, he was appointed as an Ordinary Professor at the Psychiatry Clinic of Istanbul University and continued his academic career until he retired as the chief physician at Bakırköy Hospital for Mental and Nervous Diseases in 1941. He continued to teach for many years after his retirement. During this time, he was elected as an honorary member of important health organizations in Europe and the United States and gained international prestige.

Mazhar Osman not only laid the foundations of Turkish psychiatry, but also paved the way for scientific research in this field. He played a major role in building the modern understanding of psychiatry in Turkey and pioneered the establishment of public health associations. His influence on Turkish medicine through his contributions to education and his writings continued for many years.

The legacy Mazhar Osman left behind after his death remains an important reference point in the field of psychiatry and mental health. Bakırköy Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases Hospital was known as "Mazhar Osman Hospital" for a period of time, and has come to bear his name.