Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 55-56. (Budapest, 1970)

TANULMÁNYOK - Regöly-Mérei, Gyula: The Pathological Reconstruction of Semmelweis's Disease on the Basis of the Catamnestic Analysis and Palaeopathological Examination (angol nyelvű közlemény)

B. Horn and I. Zoltán (Obstetrical Text-book; 1966, 27), G. Huszár (1965, 28), L. Jendrassik (1926, 30), J. Kenéz (1965, 31) share the view of Haranghy, Nyirő and Regöly-Mérei. For the purpose of a pathological reconstruction the following sources can be applied as a rule : a) notes, statements, letters and reminiscences of contemporaries in respect to the person in question, contemporary data on the behaviour and creative faculty and/or the change of the latter, paintings and statues, daguerrotypes and photos made from the living person, characteristic features of the handwriting etc; b) the original clinical history; c) various medical examinations, prescriptions, autopsy reports etc; d) palaeopathological examination. These data, however, often involve sources of error. The contemporary recordings are not always reliable, and sometimes too subjective, putting a good complexion on the friend and stressing at the same time the reproachable behaviour of the antagonist. This refers to Semmelweis's case, too. The journal Gyógyászat (Therapy) wrote the following about Semmelweis: "He had shown signs of overirascibility since long and his followers often roused him to paroxysms of rage instead of encouraging his medical endeavours." The events that led up to the quarrel were explained in the March issue of the journal : "Dr. Markusovszky and of his companions Professor S

... weis behaved most aggressively. They attacked the President and forced him to leave." This scene reputedly took place in the Society of Physicians (Budapest) in the spring of 1865, that is, a few months before Semmelweis's nervous breakdown and can therefore be considered a data one can apply bona fide from the viewpoint of Semmelweis's catamnesis. However, the journal Gyógyászat was lacking in good faith for the editor Imre Poór competed for the professorship of the internal medical clinic which fell vacant following the death of the internist Sauer. However, Poor, a professor's assistant, had only four years of experience in internal diseases and then switched over to dermatology; his scientific accomplishments were negligible too, and therefore the Balassa—Markusovszky group, to which also Semmelweis belonged, voted at the faculty meeting in 1864 against Poor and for Wagner, an excellent physician who, besides, was the appointed professor of the medical clinic for surgery students. Poor launched attacks in his journal against Markusovszky (1865, 1871), Balassa (1866) and Semmelweis (1865) in a very vulgar tone. T. Győry mentions that the Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift sharply disapproving of Poor's behaviour wrote the following : "Erbärmliche und klägliche Kampfweise wie von Seite Poors, dürfte bei Männern von Bildung kaum eine Analogie finden" (1865 p. 291) Paintings and photos can also be deceptive. Due to advantageous or unfavourable postures, the characteristic features of a model can be completely changed. From the aspect of pathological reconstruction contemporary medical data and recordings are far more reliable.