Palla Ákos szerk.: Az Országos Orvostörténeti Könyvtár közleményei 19. (Budapest, 1960)

prof. dr. Kováts Ferenc: Jean Fernel hatása a gümőkór magyarországi irodalmára

how they were known as honest men. A french writer reports that a student named Bethlen died in Paris without leaving debts of any kind. This meant quite a lot at a time when a contemporary of Villon scratched, with clumsy letters, upon the wall of the University: Demain je serois pendu! I shall hang to-morrow! The surrounding great countries with their advanced culture pressed hard upon our people which lost blood constantly in the wars. These countries, like the sea, were attracting and engulfing many of our young people who never came back and only old records tell us of their career as eminent physicians and professors. German pressure was above all strong. F.eclus writes: „It is to be deplored that such nice, honest and serious people are giving in to a stronger race . . ." Besides warfare and political intrigues, the religious disputes upset and worried people's lives all the more. Humanist scholars studied all the branches of science: mathematics, astronomy, poetry, philosophy, medicine- and many more things. They were progressive but at the same time retrograde and superstitious. The different creeds were opposed to each other and when arguments failed, the hangman took over. Princes kept the scientists at their court and everyone had to seek their favour. Did the scholar adapt himself to the circumstances, all was well with him; if he did not, it meant his ruin or a life of constant peregrination. Blandrata, physician to Queen Isabella, was a politician and a religious controversialist and lived in easy circumstances. Michael Servet became a victim of the religious disputes, though he made one of the greatest discoveries, - that of the lesser circulation. Having opposed Calvin, the scientist was sentenced by the reformer to be burned slowly on the stake made up of his books. Rudolf Jeszenszky disagreed with a king; after having his tongue cut off, he was beheaded and quartered in Prague. And how many more had to eat the bitter bread of the refugee!