Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 51-53. (Budapest, 1969)

TANULMÁNYOK - Végh Antal: Than Károly, a magyar tudományos kémia és az egyetemi kémiai oktatás megteremtője (angol nyelven)

and later became member of the Committee for Public Education. He was concerned with the training of future teachers, too, especially with their practical training, which was much helped by his new institute built in 1869—71. Here "even students of limited means could make these studies in a relatively short time spending 10—20 forints which earlier even for a sum above 100 forints could not have been so thoroughly achieved. Similar studies require the sum of 3—400 forints in institutions abroad. As a result future teachers of limited means also gained a practical training in chemistry and a greater part of our youth got acquainted with the methods of research, which was not at all possible in the past" [13]. There is rewarding task before our cultural historians to reveal in due depth all the phases of Károly Than's pioneering activity in chemistry and his impact on the evolution of Hungarian intellectual life. Than's deep humanism and sense of responsibility as a teacher are best represented by his own words given as an answer to the pharmacists greeting him on the occasion of his fourtieth jubilee: "The relation in the intellectual sphere between the good teacher and the grateful student is similar to a happy family contact between the father and his children. Indeed, there was such a relation between us, which did not only survive my long teaching career, but, in the course of time, even increased in intimacy. If I try to trace back its psychological motives, disregarding many otherwise important factors there are two main elements. One is that I, too, started my career 53 years ago as a pharmacist, in the field of practice. The other factor is that at the beginning of my university career chemistry was studied and dealt with in exercises practicilly only by pharmacy-students. My early and direct experiences in practical life endowed me with a vivid sense where the emphasis should be laid in your scientific training so that it be of good service in your life". "As for meself I regarded it as a patriotic duty to alleviate your studies and make them as sucessful as possible in conditions which were not too easy in the beginning. Convinced with the great importance of the scientific education of pharmacist, I tried to encourage you and as far as possible make you acquainted with the more simple facts of science. It was my aspiration to reorganize the methods of practical training in a suitable way, andin this way study became more intensive and less burdensome financially. By teaching you in the laboratory I meself learned much and it gave me delight and statisfaction." After serving 48 years as professor, at the age of 74, Károly Than retired, and some weeks later, on 5th July, 1908 he died [15], NOTES [1] Minutes of the Medical Faculty Board 1895/96, 556. [2] Gyógyszerészeti Közlöny (Journal for Pharmacy), 1873. p, 50. [3] Ibid., 1893. p. 68 [4] Orvosi Hetilap (Medical Weekly), 1800. p. 966. [5] Ibid., 1902. p. 411. [6] Gyógyszerészeti Közlöny, 1887. p. 378. [7] Ibid., 1908. p. 445. [8] Ibid., 1893. p. 48. [9] Ibid., 1902. p. 816.