The Role of the Non-Indigenous Population in the Implementation and Development of Medicine in Turkestan (second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries)

This article analyzes the role of the non-indigenous population in the transformations that occurred in the healthcare sector of the Turkestan region after the establishment of the Turkestan Governor-Generalship. Specifically, it examines the contribution of representatives of the indigenous population to the introduction and development of modern medicine in Turkestan, as well as the state of the medical sphere in the region.The special attention is paid to the deployment of military medical specialists from Russia to the region, the establishment of the first military medical institutions, the organization of medical services for military personnel and the non-indigenous population, and the Turkestan Governor-Generalship administration's attitude towards healthcare issues.In this context, the article analyzes the efforts of Russian doctors to improve the existing situation, their endeavors to extend medical care to the local population, and the regional administration's response to these initiatives.It is demonstrated that the persistent stance of Russian doctors regarding the necessity of extending medical services not only to the non-indigenous but also to the local population played a significant role in shaping the healthcare policy of the regional administration.As a result, significant progress was made in identifying the causes of numerous infectious diseases spreading among the non-indigenous population and in developing effective treatment methods.Simultaneously, it was revealed that other groups within the non-indigenous population also made substantial contributions to the creation of modern medical institutions and the organization of medical care.Notably, middle and junior medical personnel of Tatar origin actively participated in establishing medical services for both the non-indigenous and local populations.Additionally, the article examines the activities of Jewish doctors and other medical specialists who came to Turkestan and participated in the establishment of modern medical practices.They established private medical institutions and organized forms of private medical care and charity, which helped strengthen the indigenous population's trust in modern medicine and medical workers of non-indigenous origin.The article notes that the introduction and development of modern medicine in Turkestan played a crucial role in developing effective methods for treating many infectious and acute diseases.This, in turn, made a significant contribution to the further advancement of medicine in the region.