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)
E. Réti: Darwin's Influence on Hungarian Medical Thought (1868—1918) 157 J. Antall, A. Faiudy and K. Kapronczay: József Fodor and Public Health in Hungary
i /¡_ 2 Medical History in Hungary 1972 (Comm. Hist. Artis Med. Suppl. 6.) Isabel White Wallis, another member of the Sanitary Institute, who was "anxious to make herself aquainted with the way the subject (Hygiene) is taught in Buda Pesth". She asked Fodor to send her a syllabus of the lectures and examinations held in this subject in the university of Budapest (1st April, 1895). On this letter there is again a fragment of Fodor's answer: a detailed description of the manner and scope of Hygiene teaching for medical students in Hungary. Four years later Isabel Wĥie Wallis wrote him again reporting that Fodor's information proved most useful in helping her to draft a scheme for the introduction of Hygiene into the Curriculum of Redford College in London (course of teaching for women). This time (19th May, 1899) she asks Fodor for a syllabus of the course "that would be given to School Medical Men and Teachers of Hygiene" and also for a "set of Examination papers set for a diploma to schoolmasters who wished to qualify ". That she got the required material and found it most helpful in drawing up their syllabus —turns out from her next letter. A special place is taken up in the "Fodor-Archives" by the correspondence of Fodor and William Henry Corfield (1843— 1903) 5 1. He w ras medical officer of health for Islington in 1871—1872 and thus it is tempting to think that their aquaintance goes back to Fodor's first travel to England 5 2. Their correspondence, however, covers the period berween 1888 and 1900 and since it is known that Corfield stayed first in Hungary in 1887—this seems more probable date for the origin of their friendship. The letters of Corfield to Fodor —some of which containing the drafts of Fodor's answers —are significant documents revealing important facts about the two hygienists : their common field of interest, similar way of thinking and last but not least their affectionate friendship. They systematically provided each other with publications of their own and commented on each other's writings. In some cases we may only guess the identity of these publications, as e.g. in the case of the earliest letter of the collection dating from the 19th February, 1888, where Corfield says he is glad that Fodor liked his "book", he had previously sent him. We cannot tell by all certainty which book he refers to, perhaps his "Digest of Facts relating to the Treatment and Utilisation of Sewage" (1870), the third edition of which had been published in 1887 a year previous to the date of the letter. In other instances we have more luck, as in case of the letter dating from 23 Dec. 1896, from which we get to know that Corfield sent Fodor a copy of his address at Newcastle on the teaching of public health. This letter again contains Fodor's answer saying that he read the pamphlet with great interest 5 1 William Henry Corfield (1843-1903) M.A. MD. Oxon. F.R.C.P. professor of hygiene and public health at University College, London, Consulting Sanitary Adviser to Her Majesty's Office of Works, honorary member of the Hungarian Society of Public Health. Initiated the first hygienic laboratory in London and actively helped to found a museum of practical hygiene in memory of E. A. Parkes . Ardent advocate of house sanitation. He originated the successful International Congress of Hygiene held in London in 1891. Participated in the 8th International Congress of Hygiene held in Budapest in 1894. 5 2 Cf. Note 37.
