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)

IX. SECTS IN MEDICINE In the 18th and 19th centuries, during the birth of scientific thinking and systematization, the representatives of medical theories often fall victims to quick and unsound generalizations. Especially at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries different medical sects emerged as a result of the absolute acceptence of certain partial truths. The scientific value of these sects lies, however, in the crystallization of the proper principles of healing. Mention should be made of the "magnetism" of Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1814), the theory of excitability by John Brown (1735-1788) and the vampirism of Francois Joseph Broųssaĥ (1772-1838) (Fig. 53.). In the show-case we have exhibited the skull-model by Joseph Gall (17581828) with his diagram showing the localization of the supposed centres of the mental faculties in the brain. His theory met the severe opposition of his contemporaries which is referred to in the contemporary caricature on Gall on show. Nevertheless, he is considered the founder of phrenology. Among the various theories the homeopathy ot Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann (1775-1843) was the longest one to survive. It has followers even to-day, especially in the United States. The idea "similia similibus curantur" ('Similar to be treated by similar') found several followers in Hungary, too. Mention should be made of Pál Almási Balogh (1794-1867), the private doctor of Kossuth and Széchenyi; Döme Argenti (1809-1893) and Gusztáv Jármaÿ (1716-1890) apothecarian in Pest who had homoepathic pocket medicine cases made. Several series of his medicines are on show (Plate XIV.). Next to it there is the bust of Hahnemann made of bronze. (Fig. 54.). Above the show-case the lines of Mihály Vörösmarty, the great Hungarian poet of the 19th century, can be read in praise of Hahnemann.