Antall József szerk.: Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 5. (Budapest, 1972)

Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts (Guide for the Exhibition)

22 3• Medicine in Hungary in the i6th-ijth centuries Hungary weakened by internal conflicts and the blows of the Ottoman Empire, was cut into three parts after the battle of Mohács in 1526. In the struggle for survival there was practically no room left for science. Hungarian scholars worked abroad, all over Europe. János Zsámboki (Sambucus) ( $S S 84) for instance worked at the imperial court of Vienna. The Hungarian polyhistor who knew fourteen languages was know as a "giant of erudition" (monstrum eruditionis). György Heñiseĥ (1549-1585) who was the first to describe the "morbus hungaricus" (typhoid fever) was forced to leave for Brünn (Brno) on account of the jealousy of the Viennese physicians. He is one of those who are reputed for the analysis of the mineral waters of Hungary. He also maintained that syphilis can be infectious not only through sexual intercourse. János Bánfihunyadi (1576-1664) taught in Gresham College, London. János Jeszenszky (Jessen ųs) (1566-1621) called himself a "Hungarian nobleman" though he spent his whole life abroad. He was appointed rector of Charles University in Prague but previously he was professor and rector of the famous University of Wittenberg. It was he who introduced dissection in Prague in 1600. His rich scientific career, however, did not prove to be sufficient ground to save him from the Emperor's revenge

: he was condemned to death and executed for participating in the Czech rebellion. Ferenc Pápai Páriz (1649-1716) was graduated as a doctor of medicine in Basle in 1664. Returning to Hungary he became medical officer in Debrecen and afterwards he returned to the famous College of Nagyenyed (today Aiud in Rumania), the "alma mater" as professor (Fig. 18.). His most significant and popular work is the "Pax Corporis" ("Peace of the Body") displayed in the exhibition. He sets out the aim of his work in the preface as follows: "As far as I know there has not been 'written any work on this matter in our language so far." He presents the medical knowledge of his age in popular form especially for those "living in the countryside, where a sick animal finds medical aid sooner than a sick man

..." The number of historical relics from this age is scarce - for obvious reasons. In the show-case (Fig. 19.) one can see a small pedestalled pharmacy vessel made of glass from the 17th century which is considered the oldest drug-pot of Hungarian origin in the collection of the Museum. The longshaped, blue oil-container revaling the rougher workmanship of glass-works is from the same period. A valuable piece is the silver sipping vessel of Mihály Telekiÿ chancellor of Transylvania, decorated with his coat-of arms and the enumeration of all his titles dating from the year of his death. The toothless nobleman used it against the danger of swallowing fishbone (Fig. 20.). Simple people learned curing from the calenders. The Almanac of Lőcse, containing "regulations" for venesection, cupping and bathing, was published