Palla Ákos szerk.: Az Országos Orvostörténeti Könyvtár közleményei 10-11. (Budapest, 1958)

und bestätigt Medikamente, Wagner notierte am Rande des Bittschreibens die von ihm gesandten Arzneien. — Diese Briefe dokumentieren, dass Wagner ausser seiner wahrscheinlich grossen Lokalpraxis auch eine weitverzweigte und schriftlich abgewickelte Fernbehandlung versah an Patienten, die er niemals zu seihen bekam. Sie bezeugen, dass, vor TOO Jahren, der Arzt nicht unbedingt darauf bestand, den Kranken persönlich zu untersuchen, sondern auch im Wege fachlich ungebildeter Vermittler ordiniert hat. Dieses Heilverfahren geschah wohl mittels Medikamenten, die auf der Höhe ihrer Zeit standen, die Methode der schriftlichen Fernheilung scheint jedoch auf die magische Heilikunst hinzuweisen. SUMMARY Some 72 letters have been found in the correspondence of a noted practizing physician in the century. The letters give an inside view into the practice of József Wagner, head physician of the Prince of Savoy regiment. The first letter is dated 1833, the last one 1872. The letters originate from Hungarian, Austrian, Croatian, and Italian districts, embracing a territory of more than 5O0 kilometres in diameter, They are written in Latin, Hungarian, German, Croatian, and Italian. They show that hundred years ago, this noted and erudite physician undertook remote treatment of patients he has neither seen nor examined, attending on them and supplying them systematically with medicines, while he had to rely on superficial symptoms communicated by laymen. Some of the letters report on several patients and leave no doubt that this method of treatment by correspondence was an established practice. „Krankenberichte" are communicated in one of the letters, another written by a priest begins with the words „I am reporting on the conditions of my hospital". Six letters of a chaplain give reports on different patients, asking for and acknowledging receipt of medicaments. The medicaments sent were noted down by the doctor on the margin of the letters asking for help. These letters are documents of a wide practice of „blind" treatment by correspondence, side by side with an obviously extensive local practice. They show that a hundred years ago the physician did not insist on examining his patients, but also attented to the sick through intermediators. This kind of medication took place with medicaments up to the standards of the time, the physician's method of remote-treatment, however, may reach as far back as curing by magic.