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

TANULMÁNYOK - Székely Sándor: Az 1876-os közegészségügyi törvény előkészítéséről (angol nyelven)

work four committees were set up to represent the different topics. The first committee was to word the provisions in regard to medical, surgical and veterinary tasks and private practice. János Wagner was the chairman of this committee, Sándor Lumniczer its secretary; and Mór Moskovits, János Bókay, József Fleischer, Henrik Pollák and Péter Ráth the members. The second committee elaborated the articles on hospitals, therapeutic institutions and baths. It was chaired by Károly Tormay, its secretary was Gergely Patrubányi, and its members were Ignác Hirschler and Lajos Markusovszky. The third committee dealt with medical officers of the police and administration under the chairmanship of Jenő Jendrassik, with István Kajdacsy as secretary, and Károly Than and Vilmos Zlemál its members. Finally the fourth committee, which worked out the aspects of forensic medicine, consisted of four experts : N. János Rupp, chairman; Kálmán Balogh, Secretary; and Lajos Csatáry and Frigyes Korányi members.

13 The committees had hardly begun their business when on February 18, 1870, the Minister of Interior sent a memorandum to the National Public Health Council, calling on this consulting body to draw up a proposal on "the national organizations of State Medical Functionaries". The fact was that if an improvement was desired in the public health cf the country—still very discouraging—first of all an effectively operating, well-qualified state public health apparatus was needed. In May 1970 the National Public Health Council submitted its recommendation entitled "Bill on the National Organization of State Medical Functionaries".

14 It included the following topics: I. Central government (Pars. 1-4) II. Regional and local boards of health (15-27) III. Medical officers (28-53) IV. Midwives (54-57) V. Private practitioners (58-61) VI. Pharmacists and pharmacies (67-70) VII. Provisions and instructions (Par. 71.) Detailed motivation was attached to the recommendations. According to its last paragraph: "All the ministries are to be empowered to issue the decrees and instructions desired on the basis of this Act

.. ." Nonetheless, the bill in this form did not become an independent act, but was built into Act XIV of 1876. The circumstances surrounding the introduction of the bill were such that Gergely Patrubány, an M.P. as well as a member of the National Council of Public Health, raised the problem of the need for a state apparatus of public health in the House saying that until such an apparatus was set up, the National Council of Public Health could not be expected to operate effectively. His motion —which the House passed with a majority vote —contained the following in part: "Accordingly, the National Public Health 13 Lajos Csatáry: Op. Cit. p. 14. 11 Orvosi Hetilap, 1870, Appendix No. 21, pp. 33-34.