J. Antall szerk.: Medical history in Hungary 1972. Presented to the XXIII. International Congress of the History of Medicine / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 6. (Budapest, 1972)
D. Karasszon : Gensel and Sydenham
D. Karasszon: Gensel and Sydenham 117 from the works of Bodechtel (2), Chiari (3), Doerr (5), Hamperl (11), Henschen (12) and others but similar observations referring to anthrax have not come down to us. It is interesting to note that in Gensel's report we may trace the wide-spread theory which had followers even in the 19th century, according to which the outbreak of rabies was attributed to the toxin developing in the carcass of animals having perished due to various diseases and which on the other hand caused rabies in dogs which ate from the carcass. If these dogs happened to bite people, they might have caused the outbreak of a rabies epidemy. This theory had many supporters until Pasteur's appearance, even Lenhossek did not refuse to accept similar views (15). In medical history the introduction and spreading of Sydenham's teachings on the outbreaks of epidemics is connected to the activity of Ramazzini , Schroeck, Lancizi, Morton , Monavius, Bonet, S oll (9, 19, 21). In Hungarian medical history Sámuel Benkő (1743— 1825), the author of the treaties "Novum febris scarlatinae genus" and "Ephemerides meteorologico-medicae" and Ádám János Rayman (1090—1770), physician of Eperjes—who performed small-pox vaccination before Lady Montague —were the first representatives of the new Sydenhamian trend which relied upon the exact observation of geographical and meteorological factors (6, 10). The above recorded data point to the fact that this trend had several followers in Hungary, with János Ádám Gensel among them, whose scientific activity was recognised and appreciated beyond the borders of Hungary, too. Since the birth of bacteriology and the microbiological schools, Sydenham's merits in the field of epidemiology have only medicohistorical value. The life and work of János Ádám Gensel , however, presents us a "medicus in omne aevum nobilis" who opened a significant chapter in the history of epidemiology and infectious diseases. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Adami, P.: Untersuchung u. Gesichte der Viehseuchen. Wien 1782. 2. Bodechtel, G. ; Münch, med. Wschr. 1954, 06:1215 3. Chiari, H. : Wien. klin. Wschr. 1947, 59:741. 4. Demkó, K . .* A magyar orvosi rend története. (The history of the Hungarian Medical Order) Budapest 1894. 5. Doerr, W. : Gestaltwandel klassischer Krankheitsbilder. Berlin 1957. 6. Duka-Zólyomi, N.: Orv. He il. (Medical Weekly) 1870. Ill:2969 7. Fekete, L.: A magyarországi ragályos és járványos kórok rövid történelme. (The concised history of Hungary's infectious and epidemiologic deseases) Debrecen, 1874. 8. Fleming, G. : Animal Plagues. London 1871. 9. Haeser, H. : Lehrb. d. Geschichte der Medizin u, d. epid. Krkhtn. I —III. Jena 1875. 10. Hahn, G— Melly, /.; Fodor József élete és munkássága. (Life and work of Joseph Fodor) Budapest 1965. 11. Hamperl, H. : Klin. Wschr. 1955. 247. 12. Henschen, F. : Grundzüge einer historischen und geographischen Pathologie. In: Doerr W. Uehlinger E.: Spez. path. Ana . Bd. 5. Berlin, 1906.
