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

tation. Next to the memorial plaques there are a series of books written by several famous physician of these times: van Swieten, Pieñck, Trnka, Ha ler and Csapó. Around the show-case there are portraits of other famous physicians who laboured in this country: Vencel Trnka (1739-1791), professor at the University of Pest in 1786/87. Sámuel Pataki (1765-1824), chief medical officer of Transylvania, who was the first to perform small-pox vaccination at Kolozsvár (today Cluj, Romania); Sámuel Rácz (1744-1806) was a professor of physiology at the University of Pest. He promoted the introduction of Hungarian as academic language in medicine. Previously Latin had been used as the only language of instruction in all higher education. 'Dare to speak in our mother tongue, he hath been the first among us' — wrote later one of his colleagues. And how Ferenc Toldy (18051875), 'the father of Hungarian literary history', put it: 'He has developed Hungarian terminology for all medical sciences including pathology, physiology, diagnostics and therapy.' We have placed one of his university textbook on show, the Orvosi Praxis (Medical Practice) published at Buda in 1801. A remarkable engraving by an unknown master illustrates the visit of King Francis I (1792-1836) to the military hospital at Lugos in 1789. This is the only representation of a Hungarian hospital interior from these times, hence it has a special value in medical history. One of our most beautiful piece in the anatomical collcction is a life-size female wax-figure (a moulage). It is exhibited together with some other smaller wax models, donated by King Joseph II to the Medical Faculty of the Pest University in 1789. The model of the female body was made under the supervision of Felice Fontana (1730-1802), the learned abbot and famous leader of the waxmodel workshop of the Pitti Palace in Florence. Many of the most significant Italian wax-sculptors of the period worked at his institute. Our wax-figure were probably made by Giuseppe Ferrini or Clementç Susini. The exposed abdominal and chest cavity of the lying nude figure reveals the inward organs, the nerves and arteries. Though the presentation is fairly naturalistic, and performs excellently its function for teaching, the artist demonstrates at the same time his sculptural skills by grasping every motion of a dying lady. The other models, which represent various sections of the body, were produced probably in the same workshop. They arc exhibited around the show-case referring to the level of university education of the late 18th century Hungary. 2. Medical practice in the 18th century Hungary An indispensable accessory of medical practice has always been the medical kit or case, containing the instruments of the physician visiting patients, together with the most important medicines for first aid. We have presented the most beutiful one of our collcction in the show-case. The Late-Baroque wooden kit is a valuable