by Theodor Kyrkoudis (Publication Sponsor: Galenica SA - Olvos Science SA)
This study came as the crowning achievement of Theodor Kyrkoudis’ after many years of studies and research on the history of pharmacists. It’s about a rare collective publication, that aims to show the important, pioneering and decisive presence of the Greek Pharmacists in the Scientific Development of Constantinople. Nuran Yildirim reports that in 1868, 44 drugstores that existed in the City, came into operation by foreigners which were not Muslims. This fact led Theodor Kyrkoudis to look over the Commercial Driver of 1868, where he found out that the number of the pharmacists was actually 45 rather than 44 and they were all Christians, with at least 16 Greek pharmacists among them.
In the beginning of his research he had to cope with a lot of difficulties, moreover because pharmacists were embedded into the strict local community of Constantinople, he had to carry out his research through a specific methodology. As a result of this careful work, all the particular pieces that concerned the research were selected through historical sources like personal narrations, notes, forms and photographs. Additionally, Theodor Kyrkoudis visited the area in order to achieve the best information for his study. As a result he got involved to this case more personally. The narrations of people from Constantinople revive the history of drugstores and pharmacists of Constantinople. Important personalities, left their imprints on receipts, recipes and medical packagings. Some of them brought out a painful history and other a glorified commercial life.
In his study the writer assembled everything that was relative to the action of Greek pharmacists of Constantinople as well as the wholesalers in the drug market. We meet pharmacists as mayors, writers, journalists, rewarded inventors, embalmers, chief pharmacists in palaces, chairmen of professional, cultural and athletic associations, directors of national charitable shops, donors, benefactors, and as important homogenous elements. Greek Pharmacists from Constantinople are listed in the top graduates in the world! In fact among the 16 pharmacists who graduated by the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, there are 3 women.
Ελληνικά