[A POPULAR ILLUSTRATED PAMPHLET ON TRACHOMA] Insani kör eden hastaliklardan Trahom: Halk kitabi [i.e., Trachoma: A disease-causing blindness in humans: A popular guide]

[AYBERK], NURI FEHMI (1896-1976).

Kader Matbaasi, Istanbul, 1930.

Original illustrated wrappers. Foolscap 8vo. (18 x 12 cm). In Turkish. 32 p., 9 numbered b/w plates. Slight staining to the front cover and minor chipping at the foot of the spine. Overall, a very good copy.

The first and only edition of this rare and richly illustrated pamphlet, one of the earliest examples in its field in Republican Turkey. The pamphlet is dedicated to Dr. Refik Saydam (1881-1942), then Prime Minister of Turkey, whom the author describes as a pioneer of the campaign against trachoma.

According to the work, "the rapid spread of trachoma is caused by the shared use of personal items and by flies". Aimed at informing the public about these and other modes of transmission, such as touching the eyes with unclean fingers, and thereby raising awareness, the pamphlet was written to help prevent trachoma and is illustrated with numerous images to support its message.

Nuri Fehmi, who served as “Director of the Campaign Against Trachoma” under the Ministry of Health, received official permission and a travel allowance in 1933 to conduct investigations in Eastern Anatolia, and later, at the end of 1935, in Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, as well as across the broader Middle East. There, he examined the methods used in combating the disease and subsequently published an article on his findings.

As of January 2026, we couldn’t trace any copies in OCLC.