Kapronczay Károly szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 226-229. (Budapest, 1914)
TANULMÁNYOK - Boga Bálint: Gerhard van Swieten, mint a modern gerontológia előfutára
50 Comm, de Hist. Artis Med. 226-229 (2014) SUMMARY Gerhard van Swieten, physician of Maria Theresia and protomedicus of the Hapsburg empire gave a lecture on the aging in 1763. The text was published first in 1778. Van Swieten described anatomical and physiological alterations, psychological and social difficulties appearing in old age. The preface of the lecture was based on theses of classical thinkers. Van Swieten elaborated them on the basis of his - mainly medical - experience. Thereafter he gave dietetic-macrobiotic recommendations regarding exercise, eating, drinking, human relations, emotional approaches in the order to delay the aging process and improve the general status of elderly people. These recommendations mostly correspond to the present suggestions, therefore we can esteem Van Swieten as a forerunner of modern gerontology.
