A BULGARIAN "JATAG" IN COURT OF THE SULTAN - DR. ZACHARI STRUMSKI

The year of his birth is debatable: some say 1815, others - 1820. More probable is the latter as concordant with an age 18-19, when, he was registered as a student in T. Cairo's school on the Island of Andros. At that time - as his schoolmate G. Georgiev recollects - Zachari Strumski deserved the post "chairmen" of the Secret Slavobulgarian Committee. In the mist of ignorance, a young boy from Kyustendil cf. at that time in the sandjack of Northern Macedonia, the greek bishop Artemius at town takes care of the son of poor parents. Some 10 years of age, and, Zachari is sent to continue his education via Tzarigrad to the Archipelago Islands. In year 1839, we see Strumski enrolled as a medical student in Athens, and, from there to Paris to get a diploma in 1847. Ultimately, this is the early age curriculum of a doctor, who, is believed to belong to the "karaman greeks" /i.e., those who are converted bulgarians, but could hardly speak or understand their mother language/. The only other bulgarian in that period - a doctor with "karaman" type of descent is Dr. Ivan Seliminsky.

Sometime about 1847, Dr. Zachari Strumski settles in Tzarigrad and makes a medical residency, while, buying a house in the good quarters of the city. In the capital of the Osmann Empire, Dr. Strumski excels as a an able physician - he was consulted by the bulgarian colony there and by foreigners, as well. He was one of the few practitioners, who, deserved the honor to privately treat the Sultan Abdul Medjid in his palaces at "Top-Kapu Sarai". The latter had deserved the nickname - "the sick man of Europe" - because, he spent his time "feasting-and-drinking". Sultan Abdul Medjid died at age 39, supposedly, from alcoholism and sick lungs. Whatever, by the good will of the sultan, Dr. Strumski was privileged as "... a skillful physician and a good patriot ...".

There is hardly an event within the bulgarian community in Tzarigrad, in the 50s and 60s of the century, that has not involved the name of Dr. Zachari Strumski. He is keenly interested in the bulgarian affairs, within and without the boundaries of the enslaved homeland. He was subscribed for the newspaper "Danube's Swan", published in Belgrad by Georgi Rakovski. He was, also, following with deep concern the conflict with the Greek Patriarchate - the "Phenere Machala" in Tzarigrad. His compatriots from Kyustendil, rejected the archmandrite Ignatius - appointed from Greek Patriarchate - and insisted, that, their mitropolite Avxentius should be sent a representative in Tzarigrad. Dr. Strumski takes the position of a mediator in the conflict - the year 1961. He got this position, because, he was a permanent resident in the capital. Other bulgarian representatives for the "church question" - in Tzarigrad are: Dr. Stoyan Chomakov, Christo Tpcheleshtov, Nicola hadji Minchooglu, etc. We shall continue to pay attention to this canonical struggles, further, in our articles.

By far, the most important activity of Dr. Zachari Strumski is his attitude towards hospital organization in Tzarigrad. In a way, he is the first health care manager for Bulgaria. Even, from the first days of his arrival as a medical practitioner, he realized that his compatriots are suffering from lack of organized health care, namely the need for a hospital. In year 1851, he writes a series of articles in the "Tzarigrad vestnik". In this writings, he mentioned that "from all nationalities living in the capital, only the bulgarians don't have a hospital". He insisted that, "good health is a fundamental for the wellbeing of human life". Later in the same year Dr. Strumski writes with disappointment that, "his idea for a bulgarian health establishment did not held a good reception"; also, "his compatriots are more interested in material and spiritual investments - namely, churches and schools - while, ignoring the fact that a sick person don't care about whether he can read or write or going to church, etc". This articles are given at a time, when, there was a scandal in Tzarigrad regarding the death of two german citizens. They died because, "from lack of adequate sanitary conditions" - and the german community in town immediately raised some funds for building a hospital. Dr. Zachari Strumski communicated directly with the medical manager of the german hospital in town - Dr. Eugene Choll. Well, in the long run, some 40 years later the idea for a bulgarian hospital is realized, with, help from the euphoria of Eulogy Georgiev. However, the name of Dr. Zachari Strumski remains as a first benefactor for hospital care in Tzarigrad.

Immense are the contributions of Dr. Strumski as a medical essayist and translator, as well. Here is a place to make another point. As a "karaman" type, he could not read or write bulgarin. All his articles are written in turkish language, but, on the pages of "Tzarigrad Vestnik" which is a bilingual edition. Thus, an important publicist, remained relatively unknown to the bulgarian public - his writings widely popular from his time await to be translated in bulgarian. We shall give a short list from his most important works /N.B. all his works are dispersed in issues of "Tzarigrad Vestnik" from 1851-1861/:

1. "Manual on Hygiene", Tzarigrad Vestnik from 1851 - translation from a book by Prof. E. Orphille, rector of medical academy in Paris.

2. "Magnetism and spiritism", Tzarigrad Vestnik from 1856.

3. "The seven races of man", Tzarigrad Vestnik from 1852.

4. "Manual on Snake Poisoning with instructions for self-treatment", Tzarigrad Vestnik from 1853.

5. "On how to prevent from hair loss", Tzarigrad Vestnik from 1856.

Dr. Zachari Strumski was a man of good character. He was respected by his compatriots and fellow citizen. He married a lady from a British descent, and, had two daughters and a son. For the good disposition of the foreign community, evident are two letters form the russian consul in town Alexei Lobanov-Rostovski - namely, to attend a dance ball on the Island of Chalki at 20. I. and 03. II. 1860.

Stephan Strumski, his son, attended from 1867 a Medical School in Tzarigrad. From 1869, after the death of his father, he transfers to Paris to continue his education. This brave young man could not live to see the liberty, he dies on the barricades of the Paris Commune /18. III. - 28.V. 1871/.

During the cholera epidemics in Tzarigrad at 1864, dies the wife of Dr. Strumski - at an effort to save the suffering with the English Red Cross mission. Dr. Strumski, himself, was not present in town - he was on a military mission in Anadola. The russian newspaper "Vremya" writes, that at the same epidemics perished, also, the wives of Nicola Minchooglu and Constantine Raynov.

Four years later, on 20 April 1869, dies a devastated Dr. Zachari Strumski. The greatest chronograph of the bulgarian life from that times in Tzarigrad, Dr. Christo Stambolsky writes in his memoirs: ... on the edge of Easter, came the gruesome news for the death of Dr. Z. Strumski. He was a long time activist on bulgarian affairs in town ...". At the funeral, there, thousands of people come to give their last tribute. The funeral service comes to an end by mitropolite Ilarion Lovechki /1802-1884/. In memoriam.