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)
I. Friedrich: The Spreading of Jenner's Vaccination in Hungary
i/¡_2 Medical History in Hungary 1972 (Comm. Hist. Artis Med. Suppl. 6.) material of lower effect can give protection for the organism against the influence of an infecting material of greater effect." 8 Semmelweis, Pasteur, Roux and Yersin, Robert Koch, András Högÿes, Calmette, Beĥring and Ramon were working on the principles laid down by Jenner and reached excellent results in fighting down other epidemics. 9 The practical result of Jenner's discovery is that as a consequence of vaccination the danger of infection came to an end, in other words in those countries where vaccination was made compulsory, variola ceased to exist. THE HUNGARIAN PHYSICIANS' OPINION The name of Jenner and his vaccination became well-known very soon both in Hungary and in Transylvania. Vaccinations are alleged to have been started already in 1799, but it is not known who practiced it first. 1 0 Until the year 1801 more than a thousand people were vaccinated and this number increased year by year. The greater part of the Hungarian physicians declared in flattering terms of vaccination. Sámuel Várađi (1773—1857), who studied medicine in Vienna and later practiced in Transylvania, having read the work of Jenner and later de Carro's on the "divine invention", had himself vaccinated by Careno on 30th May 1801. "Dr. Careno, inflicting four stings on my arm, vaccinated the cow-pox into me. The material was taken from the nine day old variola of a child." n The vaccine had taken in due order and Careno made a "control" vaccination with blistery variola on 13th November, but the organism proved to be immune. Ferenc Ņÿųlas (1758 — 1800) the chief medical officer of Transylvania called vaccinia as a "seraphical serum". Its protective power had been known by the peasants of Transylvania: at certain parts of the country the children were washed with the milk of variolous cow in order to save them from blistery variola. "England can boast to Transylvania with this invention only because there it struck the doctors' eyes whereas at us it did not;. . ." 1 2 What a pity that the credit does not belong to us —arose the innocent patriotic thought in the chief physician's mind, which was only another way of expressing his appreciation. 8 Fritz, Sándor: A himlőoltás mai jelentősége (The Importance of Vaccination Today). Népeg. ügy. 1950. No. 5. p. 300. 9 Ibid. p. 301. 1( 1 Böjtÿ, János: De variola vaccina. Buda, 1836. Quoted by: Gortvay, György: A himlőoltás magyar története (The Hungarian History of Vaccination). Népeg. ügy, 1950. No. 12. p. 677. 1 1 Várađi, Sámuel: A tehénhimlő avagy a vaktzina természetének és terjesztése módjainak rövid elő adása (A Short Lecture on the Nature of Cow-pox or Vaccine and on the ways of Its Spreading). Bécs, 1802. p. 219. 1 2 Nyulas, Ferenc: Kolosvári tehén himlő (Vaccinia of Kolosvár). Kolozsvár, 1802. p. 7.
