Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 51-53. (Budapest, 1969)

TANULMÁNYOK - Antall József: A homeopátia és az orvosképzés Magyarországon (angol nyelven)

popular medication, "belladonna" was equally advised "for the spirit" against depression, spleen, anger, rage on the one hand and against "great merriness, naughtiness" on the other. "For the body" they found it good on practically everything: erysipelas ,cancer, jaundice, stroke, double seeing, parotid gland, toothache, constipation, hepatitis and menstruation pains. The same Argenti recommended platinum against sorrow, inclination for weeping, fear of death. He found it equally good on prurigitus, a fit of ague, a sore throat, indigestion, constipation, puerperal fever, dry cough, and legweakness. There is hardly any drug which is not good against most ailments and for most parts of the body. In accordance with their principles the homoeopaths gave sulphur on skin diseases, iodine on nasal catarrh, strychine on tetanus, Spanish-fly powder on nephritis. That is medicines which cause symptoms of the mentioned diseases on healthy persons. In spite of its obvious errors homoeopathy drew many supporters from the nonprofessional public. Medicine chests, private medicine-collections, popular advisers and remedies all had their part in its success. Man's inclination to drug-collecting and self-curing found a wide outlet. THE SPREAD AND SUCCESS OF HOMOEOPATHY The new-curing method quickly spread in Europe and North America, but never gained as much popularity among the professionals as among the gullible general public. But it won many high-ranking supporters and its results were carefully recorded. According to one of its professors, Tivadar Bakody, in the United States in the 1800s there were 1,300 homoeopathical physicians, 20 associations, 6 periodicals, 4 hospitals and two medical faculties. He knows homoeopathical institutions and associations everywhere, from Germany to Russia, and from France to England. Homoeopathical curing could nowhere achieve a lasting success. In 1805 Damas, the famous chemist gave an account on its "results" before the French Senate. With biting sarcasm he smashed to pieces the teachings of Hahnemann by the light of scientific research. The homoeopathical "private professors" ("Privatdozent" in German) at the Vienna and Prague universities could hardly find anyone who listened to them. Their hospitals at Leipzig and in other parts of Germany withered away. According to Dumas'

s report about London "the homoeopathical hospital containing 50 beds has been visited; some of the beds were vacant, others had surgical patients in them; after what could be seen this institution appears to lack any serious character". The ascendancy of homoeopathy was short-dated in Latin America as well. It obtained the favour of the Brasilian Emperor who established a medical faculty for it. But its credit was soon forfeited and the faculty was closed down. Its influence was lost in France, too. The deepest roots were struck in the United States and—for some decades—in Hungary. The spread of homoeopathical therapy in Hungary was not prevented by the rejecting decision of the Lieutenancy (Council of Governor-General in IOI