Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 66-68. (Budapest, 1973)

FORUM - Semmelweis kórtörténetének nyomában — Bécs és Budapest levelezése (magyar, angol és német nyelven)

INTRODUCTION I. In Austria and Hungary—due to our mutual historical past—the researchers of the past are bound together by common interests no matter whether they deal with general historical or science historical questions. Moreover, if we examine the carreer of certain personalities, we may often distinguish a Viennese period and a period atteched to Pest, since the two towns — even if with different weights —were part of their lives. The past should be appreciated without any prejudice but based on the best possible knowledge of the sources of history. We can state with confidence that the Hungarian researchers always hurry to present the complete source material they possess—often even facing the charge of exhibitionism or else that of betraying the natural national self-interest. Unfortunately our attempts are seldom returned by similar efforts on the part of the authorities or researchers of countries sharing a mutual past with us. Without leveling any kind of accusation against anybody we must begin by saying why we are touched so kinly that our attempts are unreturned. We have deliberately chosen to publish the two kinds of material —the documents presented to us in copies by the Vienna University and those referring to the missing case history of Semmelweis—side by side in one and the same volume. We refuse to think that the generous friend obstinately resist to publish another material which is equally harmless and would not hurt anybody's interest. The Austrian administration which has been keen on preserving its documents seems to loose the material in 1963 on account of a simple restoration. Looses the precious documents which he previously describes us as legally inaccessible. Who would believe it?! Dr. Marlene Jantsch informed us in her letter that she had received the blocked case history. But she was not allowed to publish it, she refused to answer to Professor Réti, ass. secretary of the International Society of the History of Medicine, who informed us in the cited notice*; Dr. Jantsch failed to answer * The text is as follows : "Notice In May 1969, during a longer travelling in the West, I payed a visit to Dr. Marlene Jantsch in her flat, who used to work in the Medical Historical Institute of the Vienna University. The reason was that I was asked by our Medical University to deal with the correspondence started by Dr. István Darvas trying to throw light upon the circumstances of Semmelweis' s last days in Vienna and his death. Dr. Jantsch received me cordially but told me that she could not put the copies of Semmelweis'

s post-mortem examintation at my disposal, because the rector of the Vienna University prohibited it under disciplinary penalty and thus she would not even show it to me. She thinks that the original documents must be preserved in the Medical Historical Institute. Budapest, 5th June 1969. Dr. E. Réti director"