Palla Ákos szerk.: Az Országos Orvostörténeti Könyvtár közleményei 6-7. (Budapest, 1957)

Dr. TARDY LAJOS: Az első magyar „sub auspiciis” orvosdoktor

xn preventing the ceremonial graduation, because they strongly disapproved of the conferring of such a great honour upon Reineggs, a man of „low birth". Reineggs' relatively voluminous doctoral dissertation, a booklet of 86 pages, was printed in 1773, in the University Press of Szombathely. It deals with a subject matter pertaining to chemistry. After graduation Reineggs accepted no medical job, because his thirst for knowledge drove him to learn more and more. Both he and his benefactor, count Koháry were fully aware of the fact that a profound knowledge of applied sciences would be essential during the journey they had been planning for so long a time. In Selmecbánya, a mining town in Northern Hungary, in the immediate neighborhood of count Koháry's enormous land estates, there was one of the most famous mining colleges of Europe. Reineggs completed this study, too, with the highest honours Meanwhile, he took an active part (presumably together with Koháry) in the activities of the secret Freemasonic and Rosicrucian societies of Selmecbánya. These societies served three aims: the development of alchemy, the cultivation of universal sciences and the service of progressive ideas. With his studies completed, Reineggs had already applied for the position of town physician in a Hungarian town, when count Koháry's theatrical enterprise went bankrupt. As Koháry had no time to lose in trying to escape from his creditors, they decided to start on the great journey. After leaving Hungary in secrecy, they spent some time in Venice, then sailed therefrom first to Smirna, then to Constantinople. In Constantinople the two Hungarian travellers perfected their knowledge of Arabic and Turkish languages (Reineggs had been learning these languages for 10 yers already) and established friendly relations with important personalities, first of all with the secretary of the Sultan, who gave them valuable letters of recommendation for their later journeys. Reineggs and Koháry join a caravan to Tokat. From this time on Reineggs acted as a doctor and Koháry (who, as is evident from his notices, also had some experience in medical matters) as his assistant. In his diary Reineggs describes a few of his interesting methods of treatment and points out how extremely popular he has become everywhere they went as a European doctor. The Gruzian envoy to Constantinople happened to be on his way back home through Tokat and j-1 Orvostörténeti közi.