[POPULAR MEDICINE FOR FAMILIES] اعفیت / Âfiyet. [Afiéte La Santé]. [i.e., Health and well-being]. 1-62 + Fevkalade nüsha (63rd) (The first issue survives only with its first and last pages)

FERID, SISAK (Owner), AVÂNZÂDE M. SÜLEYMAN (Editor-in-chief).

Lüsyen & Ikdam Matbaasi, Istanbul, 1913-1915.

COMPLETE TITLE: [POPULAR MEDICINE FOR FAMILIES] اعفیت / Âfiyet: Münhasiran mesial-i sihhiyye ve tibbiyye ile umûr-i beytiyyeden bâhis olarak simdilik haftada birk ere çarsamba günleri nesrolunur resimli gazetedir = [Afiéte La Santé]. [i.e., Health and well-being]. 1-62 + Fevkalade nüsha (63rd) (The first issue survives only with its first and last pages).

Handsomely bound in modern brown morocco with blind-tooled decoration on the boards. Folio (37 x 26 cm). In Ottoman script (Old Turkish with Arabic letters). Restored cover of incomplete first issue, with some staining to the cover. Overall, a very good collection.

Rare complete run (the first issue survives only with its first and last pages intact; the rest is lacking), comprising 63 issues of this popular medical magazine. “It discusses all kinds of health-related and technical matters in a very simple language, including household management, saving money, women’s handicrafts, childbirth, postpartum care, harmony between husband and wife, marriage, good manners, everything essential for the health and well-being of humanity, forming an unparalleled family bond, and cooking, while excluding political and religious topics”.

The magazine made medical and health information accessible to the public in the late Ottoman society, particularly in a time when medical knowledge was not widespread. Its simple language helped bridge the gap between professionals and the general population, making it a vital tool for spreading awareness about public health, hygiene, and preventive care.

The magazine, which initially began its publication with 16 pages, continued with 8 pages up to its 38th issue. Starting from the 4th issue, it included an 8-page article section, along with a serialized novel supplement titled “Zengin Kızı ve İzdivaç Entrikaları” [i.e., The Rich Girl and the Intrigues of Marriage], which, when folded within the newspaper, made up 16 pages. According to the statements of the newspaper’s administration, following the outbreak of the Great War on August 28, 1914, due to the declaration of mobilization, the resulting decrease in readership, and difficulties in procuring paper, the newspaper continued its publication with only 4 pages from the 38th issue until its final, 62nd issue.

According to the “Greetings” section in the second issue of Âfiyet, the first issue, which had a greater impact than expected, sold out its initial print run of 20,000 copies within a day or two, prompting the newspaper management to issue a second printing of 10,000 copies.

Duman 0017.; As of May 2025, we couldn’t trace any copies in OCLC.