First colored illustration and detailed description of hermaphroditism by a Turkish surgeon, Serefeddin Sabuncuoğlu, in the 15th century.

Abstract

Cerrahiyyetü'l-Haniyye (Imperial Surgery), written by the surgeon Serefeddin Sabuncuoğlu in the 15 century, is the first illustrated surgical book in Turkish-Islamic literature containing human figures. Sabuncuoğlu had begun a new era by demonstrating for the first time the application of many surgical methods on human beings, with illustrations in the style of miniatures in his handwritten work. This was a first in medical history, and, owing to this property, Sabuncuoğlu's book was one of the most important original works of that period. In this study in which we aim to examine Sabuncuoğlu's surgical book, in particular with regard to the disease of hermaphroditism, we first demonstrated the historical development of the subject through general sources. From sources concerning Sabuncuoğlu, we gathered information on his life and works. Then, examining the information on hermaphroditism in Sabuncuoğlu's work, we discussed this information in light of our current knowledge.