Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 57-59. (Budapest, 1971)

TANULMÁNYOK - Antall József: A pesti orvosi iskola kialakulása és a centralisták egészségügyi politikája (angol nyelven)

THE BIRTH OF THE MEDICAL SCHOOL OF PEST AND THE HEALTH POLICY OF THE CENTRALISTS* by JÓZSEF ANTALL I

n studying the past of Hungarian medicine, to which the recent anniversary has also contributed, one can find valuable articles on the history of medical training, dating bake to the Middle Ages.

1 But in the studies of questions of detail the general features always break the limits of the various branches of learning. Eastern European development had run parallelly with or slightly behind the general line of European progress, but the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries mercilessly separated the two. Western Europe, entering into a symbiosis with the oceans and the overseas countries, set out on the course of a unique—capitalistic—development, the centuries of increasing prosperity, while Eastern Europe got stuck, fell under the influence of opposite, retracting forces. Following the closing up which characterized the age of the Hungarian Angevins, and the renaissance of Matthias Corvinus, intertwined with Italian culture,

2 the period of the Turkish wars and the fights of the Estates for independence against the Habsburgs (1526-1711) meant a fateful loss for Hungary. The features of feudalism were conserved for centuries, industry lagged behind, commerce did not develop, the leading role of the novility remained, and the development of the bourgeosie was stopped. Instead of enjoying the fruits of conque st, the lot of the peoples of Eastern Europe was to feel the consequences of surrender. They fell under the sway of economically and socially less devel* The present paper is based on the following two lectures: "The Historical and Science Historical Factors of the Formation of the Medical School of Pest in the Middle of the 19th Century" delivered at Weimar on October 2nd 1969 at the yearly meeting of the German Medical Historical Society, and "The Health Policy of Eötvös and the Centralists — the Reform of Hungarian Medical Education" delivered on November 11th 1969, at a session commemorating the 200

th anniversary of the Semmelweis University of Medicine. Author discussed these questions to a certain extent in his study: "Absolutism and Liberalism in Health Policy in Hungary" (appeared in a supplemental volume of our Comm. Hist. Artis Med. Suppl. 4, titled "Medical History in Hungary 1970"). 1 Schultheisz E. : A hazai orvosképzés története a nagyszombati orvosi kar felállításáig. = Comm. Hist. Artis Med. 51-53. (1969), 17 — 33, 2 Elekes L. : Mátyás és kora. Budapest, 1964. — Balogh /. .* Művészet Mátyás király udvarában. Budapest, 1964.