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

to have grape-therapy... We have already taken over several positive customs from foreign countries, we should follow them in this one, as well." (Schmidt s.a.) In the institute situated in Krassó-Szörény county, in Marilla-valley beside Oravicza, patients were also treated by grape therapy, in addition to the healing methods being in fashion at the time. (Hoffenreich 1881) Ignácz Barna assumes in one of his books written in that period that there may also have been other institutes of the like around Pest, in addition Balatonfüred. (Barna 1865) No data were found related to the use of grape-therapy from the 1930s. The disappearance of the method was certainly also affected by the phyloxera experienced in Hungary for the first time in 1875, which destroyed two-thirds of the grape-yards in the country. Mesmerism The therapy of the German physician, Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815), the forerunner of modern hypnosis, is known in the history of modern medicine as Mesmerism. According to Mesmer, the human body is "magnetic" in itself, and this magnetism exists according to the rules of sympathy and antipathy between two persons, and it can even be controlled and improved. Mesmer called this phenomenon animal or therapeutic magnetism. (Völgyesi s.a.:8) Mesmerism induced violent disputes in the circles of physicians and academicians of the age, but it also had enthusiastic followers. In 1784 Louis XIV appointed a committee consisting of physicians and scientists in order to examine Mesmer's methods. According to the report of that committee Mesmer could not give any scientific proof of his statements, however, despite of that, "Physician and non-physician magnetisers kept on magnetising their patients with notable therapeutic results." (Braid 1948:11) Few data have been found in connection with the application of this therapeutic method in Hungary, which indicates that it was possibly spread to a much smaller extent as compared to the earlier discussed two methods, and that it was rather considered a populist, delusive, cure-all therapy of the given period. There was a periodical Mesmerism which was "a publication giving a scientific description of the magnetic phenomena of the human body and teaching its professional use in therapeutics"

. It was published in Budapest in 1904. No other volumes have been found so far from the period after that date. (Magnetism 1904:25) An article of Orvosi Hetilap (Medical Weekly) also indicates this fact: According to Tibor Verebély it is a superstition that certain charlatans can cure by a non-existing, supposed source of energy. He refers to the example of Mrs. Wunderlich from Sashalom, who had a fair income from using electromagnetism for curing. (Verebély 1927:479) Homeopathic physicians also referred to mesmerism in a derogatory sense as it is supported by a statement of Miklós Dudits, a leading personality of homeopathy in Hungary: "Concerning the miracles of mesmerism, we can safely state that its pivot element is delusion and decision... With the progress of biology, mesmerism will find its grave. " (Egészségi és Hasonszervi Közlöny (1878 (7):55)) Concerning its techniques, out of the present alternative therapies, those utilising "bioenergy" are the closest to mesmerism. In this case, however, we cannot speak about the revival of mesmerism, as the historical and philosophical background of these therapeutic techniques (e.g the approach of Yoga prana (life energy) in India, etc.) are quite different from that of mesmerism.