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: State-Models (Utopias) and Sociology of Medicine
24 Medical History in Hungary 1972 (Comm. Hist. Artis Med. Suppl. 6.) perspectives of the "New Atlantis" of Bacon arose. The impressive view of development overleapt depressing social problems and the apology of capitalism was born. 3 5 Francis Bacon (1561 —1626), philosopher and Lord Chancellor of England, lived one century later. Serving his ideas Bacon did not die on the scotfold like his forerunners. First of all he secured his career in the service of James Stuart of England, who strengthened feudal absolutism again, and beside that Bacon hardly found time to do philosophic and scientific work. 36/ a In 1622, several years before his death his Utopia was published under the title: "New Atlantis" remained only in fragments. The novel is born by phantasy and extasy of happiness from the discoveries and inventions of that historical period, easily solving all the social problems. In Atlantis state —located on the South Sea between Peru, China and Japan —the whole nature serves human knowledge, scientists are flying and ship can go under the sea. For securing health beside controlling the way of life and nourishment, bathing was regarded as an important matter. 4 4 We have nice, spacious bathrooms "—says one of the leaders of the state — "with different mixtures for the therapy of various diseases and for refreshing human body from weareness ; there are other bathes for the nervous, for strengthening and training vital organs and for preserving the strengĥt and composition of human body," 3 6 These statements have their significance in balneo-therapy and balneo-history as well, because in the advanced Europe of that period neither aristocrats used bathes nor washing was done, the 17th century. Usual bathing spread only in Eastern Europe owing to Turkish influence. In New Atlantis not only the curative strengthening effect of bathing was exploited, but inhabitants made use if the minerals of artificial springs: iron, steel, cooper, vitriol, lead and sulphur. The most important water for drinking cure is the so called 4 4Paradise water", which **in different forms is very refreshing and secures health and long life." 3 T Finally, we come across the primitive and naive imagination of climate-therapy. Instead of real climatetherapy, only "Healthy Rooms" are for disposal "in which air is controlled deliberately judged as the best for the cure of diseases and for preserving health." 38 It might be assumed that the above mentioned method did not mean climatetherapy in Bacon's thoughts, but "balneo-pneomaticum" namely air-bath. Beside medicinal herbs, Bacon is among the first, who draws the attention to synthetic drugs. From the Renaissance onwards the gradually ceasing grocerytype drug stores were substituted by self-contained, drug selling chemistries in the 17th century. Bacon was the first, who emphasized the institution type of drug stores and medical workshop in his Utopia. Rhe method of producing 3 5 Pataki op. cit. 21 p. two types of division. 3G/« Farrington, B.: Francis Bacon. London. 1941. 3f i Bacon, F. : Novum Orgánum I. és Új Atlantis. Ford. Sarkadÿ János. (Novum Orgánum I and New Atlantis. Translated by J. Sarkadÿ.) Bp. 1954. 114 p.; ib Nova Atlantis. 1621. 3 7 Bacon ib. 3 8 Bacon ib.
