1890-1899 YILLARI ARASINDA EDİRNE VİLAYETİNDE SIĞIR VEBASI: VEBÂ-YI BAKARÎ

Rinderpest (cattle plague) is an infectious disease that is rapidly manifested in cattle. The spread of this virus in a short time caused the death of many animals. The rinderpest epidemic was primarily seen in Europe. Since this disease which occurs from time to time, causes the death of many cattle therefore ideas have been developed and remedies have been considered to struggle the disease in Europe. As a matter of fact, the first step of this was taken by opening a veterinary school. The case of rinderpest in the Ottoman Empire started to be seen with the spread of the disease over the Balkans, especially after the Ottoman-Russian War of 1877-1878. Hence the goverment has taken a number of precautions to struggle this epidemic since the 19th century. However financial deficiencies and the lack of equipment in the field of health, have led to struggle against the rinderpest epidemic in the long term. As a matter of fact this epidemic affecting cattle had heavy blows to the Ottoman economy and animal husbandry. In the study, the cattle plague epidemics in Edirne between the years 1890-1899 and the precautions taken by the Ottoman Empire against the epidemics will be indicated. In this context, the subject of research is shed light on the Ottoman epidemic diseases through the example of Edirne province. The study will be completed by using of the Edirne Provincial Yearbook and various research works as a source from the relevant archive documents.