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)

M. Vida : Serving two Nations: Tivadar Duka (1825—1908)

M. Vida : Serving two Nations: Tivadar Duka. 203 of the study of Buddhism, including Brian Hodgson, a close acquaintence of Körösi Csorna, and of Wadell in the second part of the 19th century. Duka's commission came to an end in 1874 when he was retired as lieutenentcolonel and now he could return to England. IN THE SERVICE OF ANGLO-HUNGARIAN SCIENTIFIC RELATIONS Despite the great distance, soon after his arrival in East India Duka set before himself the task of informing the Hungarian public about the past and present of the Indian world. For most Europeans India was a magically sounding name and there had been no first-hand account on it in the press of Hungary. His first writings were sent to the Orvosi Hetilap (Medical Weekly) founded in 1857 by Lajos Markusovszky, whom Duka had known as the physician and life-long supporter of Görgey. In a letter in April I860 he expressed the confidence he felt while watching the new developments of Hungarian cultural life. "How happy the heart of the far-away living Hungarian is when extricating himself from his indifference towards public affairs nearing despair he can again look hopefully westward and see that materially and intellectually the ill fate that befallen on his country was only an ordeal by fire, during which we could learn how much we were worth."

2

2 Duka's articles appearing in Orvosi Hetilap and Gyógyászat were the first medical publications in Hungary dealing with tropical subjects. In addition he wrote on Indian life and customs, the geography of Bengal and the sceneries visited for Vasárnapi Újság (Sunday News) and Budapesti Szemle (Budapest Review). Already in 1858 he wrote to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences concerning Körösi Csoma's manuscripts, publications and tomb. In 1864 he was the first to publish authentic data on Csoma's life in Budapesti Szemle.

23 Besides, Duka also often sent home objects of art and specimens of natural history with a view to augment the collections already existing in Hungary. After nine years of service, in 1864, Duka obtained his first leave of absence to visit Europe together with his family. Due to the general amnesty he had the opportunity to see his country after fifteen years. His first visit took him to Klagenfurt where Görgey was still living in exile. He could not be present when three years later the returning general was greeted by his faithful friends including the two well-known physicians, Lajos Markusovszky and Sándor 2

2 See note (18), p. 514. 2

3 Duka, Tivadar: „Körösi Csorna kéziratai, nyomtatványai és síremléke ügyében a Magyar Tudományos Akadémiához." (To the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Concerning the Manuscripts, Publications, and Tomb of Körösi Csoma.) Magyar Akadémiai Értesítő, 1858. — „Körösi Csoma útja Közép-Ázsiában" (Körösi Csoma's Route in Central Asia) Vasárnapi Űjság, 1863. — „Adalék Körösi Csoma életiratához" (To Körösi Csoma's Biography), Budapesti Szemle, 1864.