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

factors contribute usually to the emcrgencc of a scicntific school just like in the case of artisan or literary groups. Medical schools, in particular, need not only have experts with high professional knowledge, common opinions, theories, but excellent organisers, an appropriate institutional background and last but not least a favourable political climate as well. In Hungary the emergence of the medical school camc about a bit romantically. In the 1850s most of the essential factors were given in Pest-Buda for organizing such a circle. Its central figure was János Balassa, an excellent surgeon who had been lecturing at the University of Pest since 1843. His active role in the War of Independence got him into prison during the period of Habsburg oppression. After his release he began to organise young doctors into a circlc. With his friends he arranged riding tours outside the city, where they could freely discuss political and medical issues. Ironically they called themselves the Façulté de medicine á cheval (i.e. The Riding Medical Faculty). In 1850 Ignác Semmelweis joined the circlc. Other prominent members were Lajos Markusovszky, Frigyes Korányi, Sándor Lumniczer and Ignác Hirschler. In the 60s Hungarian međiç¡nç could boast an array of gifted physicians. Among others there were Lajos Arányi, Jenő Jendrassik, József Lenhossék, Ferenc Schwar zer, János Wagner and Tivadar Margó. The significance of the Pest Medical School was that its talented, open-minded and highly educated members raised Hungarian medicine to the bests in contemporary world. In the followings we give a short summary about the four most important members of the Pest Medical Circlc, namely about Balassa, Markusovszky, Lumniczcr and Semmelweis. 1. János Balassa János Balassa (1814-1868) was graduated in surgery at Vienna. Receiving his diploma in 1839 he worked at the Surgical Clinic in Vienna, then in the Allgemeines Krankenhaus. He was soon appointed to deputy head physician of the hospital. In the show-case we have presented an authentic copy of a certification signed by Skoda which dcclarcs that Balassa had attended the lectures on percussion and auscultation organized by the T.B. department. The other document dated from 24 Octobcr 1838 is a permission for Balassa to enter the Pathological Institute. After a longer visit to Western countries he received the post of Professor of Surgery at the University of Pest. During the War of Independence in 1848^9 he was director of the Medical Faculty and the Central Military Hospital. After the capitulation of the Hungarian forces he was sentenced under martial law and sent to prison. After his release in 1851 he could rc-occupy his chair at the Pest University. He conccntratcd on educational matters and introduced modern surgical teaching combined with practice. Among the many inventions he brought into Hungarian 69