Kapronczay Károly szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 218-221. (Budapest, 2012)
KÖZLEMÉNYEK - Gosztonyi György: Környey István (1901-1988)
ISTVÁN KÖRNYEY (1901-1988)* GYÖRGY GOSZTONYI István Környey,1 an outstanding representative of Hungarian clinical neuroscience, one of the founders of Hungarian neurosurgery, was born 29 July 1901 in Görz (now Go- rizia, Italy). He excelled already in early childhood by his mental capacity and exceptional memory. He started his medical studies at the Péter Pázmány University in Budapest. As a student he revealed genuine interest in anatomy. In the Institute led by Mihály Lenhossék he participated in research and teaching. He wrote during this period his first scientific publication entitled The inheritance of sex1. Anatomical/neuroanatomical and genetic aspects remained also in later phases of his career in the foreground of his interest. He received 1923 his medical doctor’s degree. At that time, with the recommendation of Mihály Lenhossék, he worked already in the Brain Research Institute, founded by Károly Schaffer in 1912, who was in 1924 appointed to head of the Clinic of Neurology and Psychiatry. Following Schaffer’s appointment, the Brain Research Institute moved to the Clinic of Neurology and Psychiatry in the Balassa Street and functioned there as an independent Division of Brain Histology. The position of deputy director of the Clinic was fulfilled by Dezső Miskolczy, who had an important role in the formation of Környey’s professional training, education and working style. During the years of cooperation their connection developed to a close, enduring friendship. Talented, ambitious young men such as Tibor Lehoczky, István Somogyi, József Baló, Béla Horányi, Hugo Richter and László Meduna, the inventor of the convulsive treatment of schizophrenia, gathered as members of Schaffer’s Institute. They later became prominent representatives of Hungarian neurology and neuropathology. Kálmán Sántha joined this group in 1927, he later also became a close and true friend of Környey. The scientific papers of the Institute were collected by the Springer Publishing House into the yearly volumes Hirnpathologische Beiträge. These volumes, sent regularly to other brain research * A version of this biography in Hungarian language has been published in the scries: Vinczc János (cd.): Emlékezünk orvosainkra (We remember our physicians) Vol. 8: Gosztonyi György: Prof. Dr. Környey István - akadémikus 1901-1988.165-184. (2011) 1 At the denomination of authorship in specific publications Környey used to apply the equivalent of his first name in the corresponding languages. This way, the initial “1” stands for “István” in Hungarian, “St” stands for “Stephan” and “Stephen” in German and English, finally, “E” for “Etienne” in French publications, respectively. 2 Környey I.: A nem átöröklése (The inheritance of sex). Pótfüzetek a Természettudományi Közlönyhöz 1922
