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
G. Jeszenszky : Medical and Sanitary Conditions in Hungary. .. 79 considerably during the inundation, 3 4 having been flooded for a depth of ten or twelve feet . It may appear singular that in a country with a population of eight hundred thousand? 5 the Hospital of St. Roch, which, even the new edifice is completed, will contain only eight hundred individuals, should be the largest sanatory establishment in existence ; but it must not be forgotten that the self-devoted communities of Mercy, both male and female, provide for a vast number of sick, and the convents of this order are very numerous in Hungary."™ It was in 1839 that an institution quite unique in its kind was established in Pest: the Children's Hospital of Ágost Schöpf-Merei, whose name became well-known in England when he settled there after the defeat of the Hungarian War of Independence in 1849. No wonder that the sensitive and sentimental spirit of Miss Pardoe was so much captured by it. It would not be without interest to quote the whole long passage dealing with it, 3 7 but space permits to reproduce only some extracts: "The situation of the house is excellent, opening upon gardens on both sides, and its interior arrangements are admirable. It is like a model for a hospital, containing only five chambers and fifteen beds of different sizes, seven of them being adapted for the accomodation of the mother as well as the child ; but great additions are about to be made through the philanthropy of wealthy and influential persons. .. At present there are two assistant physicians, a housekeeper, and three nurses, attached to the establishment; a neat little laboratory, and operating and dissecting rooms ; no expense is spared in the treatment of the patients, and the most unwearied attention, as' well as the most skilful exertions, are lavished upon the sick. No children are received after their thirteenth year ; and only the most severe and dangerous cases are admitted, owing to the extremely limited nature of the establishment ; but in addition to these, the charity takes charge of numerous outpatients, who are visited and treated in the houses of their parents. This year about seven hundred and fifty patients were attended by the physicians of the institution, one half of which number were received into the house : the mortality averaged ten in the hundred ; a small proportion when it is remembered that none but dangerous, and even desperate cases are considered eligible." 3 8 Miss Pardoe also visited the Blind Institution where children were taught reading, writing and music, with gymnastic exercises for recreation, by professors generally under the same deprivation. 3 9 3 4 The famous flood of 1838 when a large part of Pest was destroyed by the icy waters. At another part of her book (II. pp. 18 — 40.) Miss Pardoe gives a detailed account of the sufferings of the population with a special emphasis on medical aspects, based on one of Ágost Schöpf-Merei's books. 3 3 Evidently a mistake, the real figure was about one hundred thousand for Buda and Pest, and over 10 millions for whole Hungary. 3 6 Pardoe, III. pp. 23-4. 3 7 Ibid. pp. 24-32. 3 8 Ibid. pp. 30-32. 3 9 Ibid. p. 154.
