Kapronczay Károly szerk.: Orvostörténeti Közlemények 188-189. (Budapest, 2004)

KÖZLEMÉNYEK - COMMUNICATIONS - Koltay Erika: History of alternative medicine in Hungary in 19th and early 20th century. - Az alternatív orvoslás története Magyarországon a 19. és a korai 20. században

this respect, because Priessnitz considered nutrition an important factor: he listed wine, as well as spirits and beer, among the harmful nutrients. (Munde 1838:54) Schroth's institute, which became famous under the name "Gründungshaus", was built in 1843, and people in Hungary also knew about it. (Schroth 1911:8) The third great personality of hydrotherapy was Sebastian Kneipp Bavarian parson, who pursued his activities in Wörishofen. Knepp's therapy was also based on cold water, however he also used hot water, steam and herbal plants in addition. Contrary to Priessnitz, he did not expose the entire body to the effects of cold water but only certain parts of it, and to a much shorter period of time. In addition to the above elements, curative gymnastics, body massage, staying in the open air, in sunshine, also formed important parts of his method. (Schalle s.a..) In addition to his therapeutic method, "this simple parson has an unfading merit that even his enemies acknowledge: that he got the enervated people living at the turn of the century, the aristocracy of birth and money, to the habit of a puritan mode of living." (Pálócz 1898:78) The Kneipp method was spread in Hungary by the National Hungarian Kneipp Association formed in 1896: it was a member of the Central Kneipp Association (Zentral Kneipp-Verein) of Wörishofen. The association launched the Kneipp Lap in 1896, which was published under the title Kneipp Újság from 1899 on. As long as in Hungary there were no institutes similar to the one in Wörishofen, patients made use of the Kneipp therapy in Wörishofen or in certain spas within the country (Gschwindt spa, Király Spa in Buda). The popularity of Kneipp's therapy is indicated by the fact that his book Meine Wasserkur (1877) was published 70 times within 15 years, and 400 thousand copies were sold. It was translated into Hungarian three times (1888, 1893, 1896) (Kósa 1999:25) According to the statistics given by a contemporary newspaper, until 1896 60 thousand patients came to the institute in Wörishofen from all over the world. (Új idők 1896 (3)) The Kneipp Association in Hungary had long cherished the idea of opening an institute similar to the one in Wörishofen in Budapest as well. In order to achieve this aim, they formed the Kneipp Hydrotherapeutic Joint-Stock Company. (Kneipp Magazine 1899 (1):5) The institute was opened on 15

th June, 1901 under the name Budapest-Kőbánya Natural Curative Institute, with Ignácz Gábori as manager-physician (Kneipp Újság 1901 (5):80) Before opening the institute in Budapest, the Kneipp-House in Balatonalmádi was opened in 1899, where the patients were treated by the Schroth and Kneipp methods, and by Riklïs sunshine-therapy. (Kneipp Lap (1):5) In the present phase of alternative medicine, hydrotherapeutic methods have not revived as independent schools we can only detect certain therapies among the methods of alternative medicine and of the so called physiotherapy. Out of the supplementary dietetic therapies of hydrotherapeutic methods let us mention the grapes-therapy, which was introduced in Balatonfüred by Henrik Mangold royal counsellor, spa physician, from the 1860s. "Under the term grapes-therapy we mean to consume at least 3 pounds of ripe grapes for normal and prolonged periods, while maintaining a well-defined way of life..." (Barna 1865:5) That is, a strict diet, regular exercises and being in the open air. According to Henrik Mangold's opinion, this method using the imported Hungarian grapes was well known in foreign countries. (Mangold 1930:4) The following data also confirm this supposition:"...//! foreign countries great masses of people are attracted to grape-growing areas during the autumn season, in order