Magyar László szerk.: Orvostörténeti Közlemények 178-181. (Budapest, 2002)
KÖZLEMÉNYEK - COMMUNICATIONS - Greguric Gracner, G. - Vucevac Bajt, V.: History of Eradication of Malaria in Croatia. - A malária leküzdésének története Horvátországban
Physician Bernardo Schiavuzzi, a senior district physician (1850-1929) greatly contributed to extermination of malaria in Istrias as well. On several occasions he very thorougly described his work concerning malaria in Istria. In 1908, he published a paper in which he described his own method of curing the members of the family of a lighthouse keeper Froja at the cape of Mariera who were chronically ill of malaria (Rudelic, Maretic, 1976). He used Koch's method of quininisation, and achieved a great success. In his 1903 report Emil Celebrini (1862-1927), the head physician of the regency in Trieste described methods of eradicaton of malaria in Pula and stated that infection of the whole Istria and Friul Valley (the Province of Gorica-Gradiska) represented a "serious economic trouble for years as the etiology of the disease had not been known due to the lack of scientific knowledge" (Tonkovic, 1978). He synthesized all the known facts concerning malaria and pointed out how important it was to consistently implement all the necessary measures: destroy parasites in people, destroy anopheles, protect people from the mosquito bite, clean water tanks and educate local people on the importance and harmlessness of destroying parasites in humans. After E. Celebrini's report, the eradication of malaria in Pula became a part of a wider action performed on the Island of Krk (the county district of Dubasnica with the villages: Bogovic, Miletic, Porto, Sablic, Strilcic, St. Antun, Turcic, Vantacic, Zidaric) the County district of Aquila ( the Valley of Friul ) and a part of the County district Grado in the region of Gorica-Gradiska. It has been decided to treat whole population of the district by quinine-iron-arsenic preparations. At that time very strict instructions were given by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Eradication of malaria was carried out only in the northwestern part of the Pula region. The town of Pula and the largest part of the surrounding area was not included into this project. The population response was satisfactory. The success of the campaign was mainly due to the fact that summer was pretty arid. Quinine preparations which at first used to provoke stomach aches, rashes and erithemas were soon improved as well as the larvaecidic preparations. The sanitization in the town of Barbariga was performed by crude oil, and water for cattle was transported in the water tanks. In 1903 the first malaria eradication campaign was carried out in Istria after the epidemic issues concerning malaria were resolved. A fish Gambuzia affinis from Brasil played an important role in the eradication of larvae and anopheles cocoons. In 1925, they were introduced from Spain to Croatia. The fish was very suitable for ponds, minor swamps and canals as it bred very quickly. It daily consumed 150-250 larvae. The only problem was that it was not resistant to cold. The eradication of adult mosquitoes in the closed spaces was performed by Pyrethrum spraying. Petroleum, oil and petrol were sprayed across the waters and the larvae were killed due to deprivation of oxygen supply (Capak, Bar isin, Bakié, 200]). Systematic eradication of malaria successfully continued in 1904. Mauro Giosefft, a 3 Bernardo Schiavuzzi (1850-1929), archologist, the historian of medicine and the director of Archeological museum in Pula. He was born in Piran and moved to Pula in 1894.
