The nineteenth century was a period in which epidemic diseases occurred frequently and on a wide scale in the Ottoman Empire, posing significant challenges not only to the social and demographic structure of the empire but also to public order and the administrative capacity of the state. Among these diseases, cholera constituted a particularly serious threat to the Ottoman administration due to its high contagiousness and its capacity to spread rapidly across extensive geographical areas. Following the first recorded appearance of cholera in the Ottoman territories in 1822, various measures were adopted to prevent the spread of the disease. From 1831 onward, the implementation of systematic quarantine practices marked an important stage in the development of a more institutionalized approach to epidemic control. These developments represented a significant phase in the emergence and consolidation of modern health administration and organization within the Ottoman Empire. This study examines, on the basis of archival documents, the practices concerning the salaries, travel allowances, and other financial provisions granted to medical personnel appointed in response to an official request submitted to the Ottoman government following the outbreak of a cholera epidemic in Greece in 1855. In this context, particular attention is given to the selection and appointment of medical personnel, the administrative procedures governing their deployment, the financial resources allocated to them, and the position of such payments within the state’s fiscal structure. By doing so, the study demonstrates that epidemic control policies involved not only medical interventions but also personnel management, allocation of financial resources, and administrative coordination. The study therefore aims to contribute to a better understanding of the functioning of the Ottoman health administration and the institutional capacity of the central government in responding to epidemic diseases during a period in which the Ottoman medical and administrative institutions were still undergoing significant transformation.

Greece, Epidemic Diseases, cholera, Ottoman Empire, 19th century.