The beginning of biochemistry in Turkey can be traced to the first half of the nineteenth century-to the establishment of a military school of medicine on March 14, 1827 (currently celebrated as ''Medical Day'') and the first civilian medical school, State School of Medicine, in 1867. In the years that followed, medical graduates and specialists were sent to Paris, Vienna, Berlin, and London to catch up with the developments in their profession. In 1898, medical chemistry became an independent course of instruction, offered by Ali Riza Efendi, an organic and physiological chemist and a laboratory scientist educated under A. Gautier in Paris. The first clinical chemistry laboratory was established in 1898 in the Gu ¨lhane Teaching (Army) Hospital under the directorship of Professor Robert Rieder from Prussia and his assistant, Dr. Georg Deycke. A similar laboratory was established at about the same time by Mustafa Mazhar Bey in the civilian Sisli Children's Hospital. Medical chemistry was also introduced into private practice in the form of simple diagnostic tests by doctors returning from Europe.
The second era spans 1909-1933, the years of Dar-u ¨l Fu ¨nun (Land of Sciences; University) Medical School, where foreign specialists and Turkish doctors continued to work together and train a large number of medical chemists.
1933 was the year of the University Reform initiated by Atatu ¨rk's decree. The reform included restructuring of the university, appointment of new teaching staff, and marked the beginning of contemporary scientific commitment. Among the incoming staff were Jewish scientists fleeing from the Hitler regime. Contributing to the reform along with Turkish staff were Professors Breusche (chemistry), Heilbron (botany), Koswig (Zoology), Winterstein (physiology), and Haurowitz (biochemistry).