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)
XIII. THE MICROBIOLOGICAL REVOLUTION AND MEDICINE IN HUNGARY From the middle of the 19th century onwards the period of scientific specialization started in medicine, due to the manifold development of medical science. The most spectacular series of successes was achieved in microbiology. The history of research work done in this field can be divided-rather simplified - into the following chapters : 1. Discovery of micro-organisms by Leeuwenhoek in 1683. 2. Establishment of the doctrine of the germ origin of diseases (Agostino Bassi, (1771-1856) 3. Refuse of the theory of spontaneous generation first by Francesco Redi (1626-1697) in the middle of the 17th century, by Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-1799), etc. until Pasteur. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) came to the conclusion that "there is no fermentation without micro-organisms and each fermentation is caused by a special germ" about 1867. Beside the portraits of the most outstanding personalities of contemporary medicine: Pasteur (1822-1895), Koch (1843-1910), Metchnikoff (1845-1916), Hata (1837-1938), Ehrlich (1854-1915) enlarged colour transparent photos of germs can be seen, the discovery of which brought about a revolution in medicine. In the small show-case there is a binocular microscope made by Negretti and Zambain 1870 in England. It is exhibited as the most important instrument of the above described discoveries. I. Antiseptic surgery - Lister The antiseptic method is an important way of excluding infections. It means the destruction of germs, the causes of disease - by the use of physical or chemical agents. This fundamental revolution in surgery was introduced in the second half of the 19th century by Lister in order to destroy the harmful germs by the use of antiseptics. The antiseptic method was gradually superseded by the more effective aseptic method, the introduction of which is inseparably linked with the name of Semmelweis. Lord Lister (1827-1912) who was hailed by his contemporaries as "medicorum facile princeps", greatly contributed to the revolution in surgery. A contemporary medical review said of him that by his wok "He had saved more lives than all the wars of history had thrown away". Lister's antiseptic operations and the instruments used by him (his carbolic spray) are demonstrated in photos and drawings. There is an oil-painting of his portrait made by Ede Komlóssy in 1887 on show, too. His hand-writ-
