Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 18-19. (Budapest, 2000)

Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts - Guide to the Exhibition

V. The development of public health in the age of absolutism in Hungary Public health in early eighteenth century Hungary — especially regarding the number of physicians — by no means can be regarded satisfactory. There were whole counties where even a single physician could not have been found. In 1723 the royal court began to organize a new administrative system in Hungary. A high body, the Consilium Locumententiale (Governing Council), was set up in the same year, located in Buda, which was in charge for a number of public matters. Few years later, in 1738 a permanent public council was established within the body of the Locumtenentiale. In comparision to the measures that had been adopted by local authorities until that time the establishment of a ccntral body for public affairs might be regarded rather progressive. Nevertheless these offices did not neutralize the political differences between the Habsburg kings and the estates of Hungary. Whatever political consequenccs the new system might have had, it was obviously timely, and essential to make public health an integral part of state administration. The foundations of a more general public health policy, which was to cover the whole country, were indeed laid down. The aim was a complete re-organization of the administrative matters of all Habsburg territories, including those of the public health. The task in the field of mcdical education and sanitary matters was to be carried out by Gerard van Swieten (1700-1772). Van Swieten, organizer of the first Vienna school of medicine, and medical adviser of Queen Maria Theresia (1740-1780) had studied međiç¡nç at Leyđeñ under Bocrhaavc, and graduated there in 1736. He was invited to Vienna by the Queen in 1745. The Consilium Locumententiale passed a decree in 1752, which prescribed that each county should keep an educated physician (physicus

), whose authority was to cover the whole field of public health including supervision of pharmacies, guilds of surgeons, midwifes, health administration and ncccssary precautionary measures to be taken against epidemics. This institution became the ancestor of the county or municipal medical officers. The carefully detailed regulation entitled Generale Normativų ñ in Re Sanitatis, which prescribed the required duties of physicians, surgeons, midwifes and pharmacists, was published in 1770. It was written by József Hodosi Skollanich, the physicus of Pozsony county. Soon afterwards, in 1786, the post of chicf mcdical officer (regni protomedicus) was crcatcd. He was to be responsible for the training of county physicians, the supervision of their education, and the administration of the hospitals. These improvements in health administration brought a significant improvement in Hungarian public health. The history of university education in Hungary began in 1367 when the Angevin King Louis, the Great (1342-1382) founded a university at Pecs. It was followed 51