From the History of Turkish Pharmacy. Bonkowski Pasha – the First Chemist of the Osman Palace
Abstract
The aim of this article is to present the person and achievements of Miralay Bonkowski Pasha (1841–1905), an Istanbul-born scientist and lecturer of Polish descent, about whose life little is known.
Bonkowski’s articles and reports in nineteenth-century periodicals such as: Gazette Mediale d’Orient (1868–1904); Journal de la Société de Pharmacie de Constantinople (1879): L’Osmanlı (1884–1885) and Revue Medico-Pharmaceutique 10/3 (1888–1897) constitute the source basis of this article. The literature used in the paper thereof consists of historical studies (including those related to the history of pharmacy) and takes into account the latest state of scientific research, published mainly in Turkish, but also in Polish.
This paper uses the method of historical analysis of sources, mainly journal articles and reports, in the context of properly selected historical literature. In the light of the sources and studies, Bonkowski appears to be a socially committed scientist, taking into account a modern perspective in his research, perfectly combining scientific theory with practice. Bonkowski sought to combine science and practice with the common good in mind, bringing chemistry issues into everyday practice and offering innovative and practical solutions in this regard. Thanks to his knowledge and skills, he was appointed by the state authorities to many commissions aimed at solving key current problems, such as: raising the level of public health (e.g. by analyzing water, food, or medicines), fighting infectious diseases (cholera epidemic), protecting vineyards from destruction due to disease, initiating the production of rose essence (a cosmetic widely used in the Ottoman state). Bonkowski, the first chemist-in-chief of the Ottoman palace, worked for many years in various institutions and organizations of the Ottoman state, played a key role in the establishment and development of public health, chemistry, and pharmaceutical professions in the Ottoman state. He made a breakthrough in the field of health. At the same time, with his chemical research and his studies of infectious diseases, especially cholera, he made significant contributions to Turkish science.
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