Dr. Murai Éva szerk.: Parasitologia Hungarica 20. (Budapest, 1987)

After graduation from the Veterinary College in Budapest in 1911, he was appointed as lecturer to the Department of Pathology of the College headed by I. RÁTZ. KOTLÁN had considerable knowledge in pathology, however, the beginning of his career was not without difficulties. Professor RÁTZ studied veterinary parasitology for the first time in Hungary and taught this subject for some 25 years. He was not much inclined to share his favourite field with anyone, so the young S. KOTLÁN had to coriceal his increasing interest in parasitological problems till the death of Professor RÁTZ in 1917. The young ambitious lecturer, S. KOTLÁN, soon attracted attention with his talent, diligence and working ability. Ih 1921, at the age of 34 he was commissioned to hold lectures on parasitology and in two years on zoology as well. KOTLÁN 's activity coincided with the development of parasitology as an independent, new field of applied zoology, when this previously mainly morphological and descriptive science became a complex biological, clinical and pathological one. S. KOTLÁN's work considerably contributed to this process even in international sense. He was a lucky combination of a trained zoologist and a veterinary pathologist capable of sound understanding the pathological effects of parasites. So his studies on the taxonomic, morphological, biological and ecological problems of the parasites together with his works on pathology, clinical questions, therapy and epizootiology of parasitoses resulted in a unified entity. His professional promotion was very fast. He spent a sabbatical at the Veterinary Faculty of the Michigan State College (1924-25), in 1925 he was appointed reader at the age of 38 and received a chair in ten years. The small parasitology laboratory of the Department of Pathology developed into a section in 1929 and into a separate department headed by him in 1935. In his papers and lectures he convincingly pointed out that parasitic diseases causing considerable economic losses and jeopardizing public health should attract necessary attention. Thanks to his efforts the subject of parasitology obtained its right place in Budapest in the veterinary curriculum among the very first veterinary training institutes in Europe. His students reading KOTLÁN's book "Parasitology" published in 1944 may not have known that they were studying from one of the best and most comprehensive manuals of parasitology of that time, which remained up-to-date thanks to further revisions. He became member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1946 and he was appointed twice to dean of the Veterinary Faculty of .the Hungarian University of Agricultural Sciences (1947-48 and 1951-52). He was awarded the KOSSUTH-prize (1951), three times the Prize of Labour, and the Red Flag Order of Labour in 1957 on the occasion of his 70th birthday. He received an Honorary Doctorate at the ceremony of the 175th anniversary of the Budapest University of Veterinary Science in 1962. He was 73 when in 1960 his German book "Helminthologie" was published. In 1966 he retired with undiminished energy at the age of 79. In a year, however, he passed away due to a heart attack. Looking at his long research activities the number of his publications, slightly over one-hundred, does not seem to be very high. He seemed to follow the advice of PLINIUS: "Multum, non multa". His scientific work was based on profoundness and reliability, while his style was characterized by accuracy, moderation, detailed survey of the literature, precise edition and composition. His research activities included a great variety of topics, so it is nearly impossible to list the problems he dealt with. He was' an outstanding representative of the already vanished type of parasitologist who contributed to all major fields of parasitology, and enriched our knowledge on protozoa, helminths and arthropods. Legend to figures: The medal to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Professor KOTLÁN, the work of Lajos CSÉRI. The statue of Professor KOTLÁN in the park of the University of Veterinary Science, sculptured by Richárd TÖRÖK. (Photographs by Mrs Gyöngyi MAJOROSBORI, Central Photolaboratory of the University of Veterinary Science, Budapest.)