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)
G. Jeszenszky: Medical and Sanitary Conditions in Hungary as Seen by British Travellers, 1790—1848
ioo Medical History in Hungary 1972 (Comm. Hist. Artis Med. Suppl. 6.) Foreign visitors to Hungary have often been struck by the topics of everyday conversations when compared to what one may expect in English homes or in publicians' saloons. Not that current local gossips or more elavated subjects like education, or literature, were missing, but political developments have so often stood in the foreground. The British travellers of the period under consideration shared this experience as they came here at the height of some exciting political development: first in the 1790-s when enlightened absolutism (with its contraversial aspects for Hungarian national feelings) began to give way to unenlightened reaction as the repercussions of the French revolution reached Hungary. Then came devalvation in 1811 and the ensuing economic plight of the country coinciding with the last phases of the Napoleonic Wars, and finally, from the 1830's onwards, the brilliant epoch of the renaissance of the nation, the Age of Reforms, with all its exciting political and cultural developments. Under these conditions it is quite understandable that the attention of the British wayfarers —even when they were physicians —was focused more on the economic-political than on the medical questions. So while these accounts should serve as invaluable sources for the general historian, they are of considerable interest —though not indispenseable —for the medical historian as well. At that time (and still for a long time to come) Hungary was on the fringes of Europe, or according to many Viennese, was in Asia which started at the end of the Landstrasse leading from Vienna towards Hungary. Would-be visitors to Hungary were overwhelmed with warnings, advice and threats about the dangers of going to such a country. 2 But there were those people who had no choice but had to go: many emissaries and legates sent to Constantinople to the Sultan preferred the land-voyage and passed through Hungary. One of them was an English physician, Edward Brown, who spoke with great sympathy on the fate of the Hungarians who saved Europe from the Turks. One may believe him as he travelled both in unoccupied royal Hungary and through that larger but greatly devastated part which was still under Turkish rule in 1669 — 70, at the time of his journey. 3 Soon after the end of Turkish occupation in 1717 Lady Mary Montague also reflected on the contrast 2 In this respect there was hardly any difference between 1793 and 1836. The traveller, minerologist and botanist Townson was 4 4assured the difficulties the traveller had to encounter in Hungary... were, for the want of civilization, very great... a country which, according to the accounts current at Vienna, was little better than in a state of nature, and its inhabitants half savage." Robert Townson, Travels in Hungary, with a Short Account of Vienna in the Year 1793 (London, 1797), (hereafter cited as Townson), pp. 32—3. Forty-three years later John Paget was told practically the same : "The reader would certainly laugh, as I have often done since, did I tell him one half the foolish tales the good Viennese told us of the country we were about to visit. No roads! no inns! no police! we must sleep on the ground, eat where we could, and be ready to defend our lives at every moment ." Johm Paget, Hungary and Transylvania, with remarks on their condition, social, political and economical (London, 1839), 2 vols. (Hereafter cited as Paget), pp. 2. 3 Edward Brown, Accounts of several travels in Hungaria, Servia, etc. (London, 1673).
