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

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

to Balassa.

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1 All of them had a greater impact on medical public life than Semmelweis, but who in turn became an outstanding figure of universal medical history by discovering the aetiology of puerperal fever and by formulating the idea of prophylaxis. With his virtues and faults he embodied the modern specialist. He, together with his friends, took part in Hungarian medical public life, earned respect in higher education as the professor of the universita of Budapest, and also with his articles in the Hungarian medical journals, but his personality was not suitable for a leading role, which he never strove for.

1,3 This short paper does not render

. possible to draw here a sketch of their careers, or to complete the circle with a long list. At best only the names of the greater ones, including Frigyes Korányi, József Lenhossék, and Jenő Jendrassik may suggest something for the foreign specialists in the fields of internal medicine, anatomy, and physiology respectively. But I should like to refer to the four well-marked periods of Hungarian history which determined the course of their lives : the Age of Reforms, followed by the Hungarian War of Independence (1848-49), the Austrian neo-absolutism after the supression of the latter, and finally the Compromise between Habsburg-Austria and Hungary. The first is the period of gaining spiritual and political strength, the second is the great trial; the third is characterized by passive resistance, preparations, and searching for a solution, and the fourth is the peried of the realization of their program on a state level following the great compromise.14 During the War of Independence Balassa held an important office, Markusovszky was a high-ranking "honvéd" (army) surgeon and the personal physician of Artúr Görgey, the great general of disputed fame, and Lumniczer was the chief medical officer of the war.

15 Semmelweis then still lived in Vienna, and although his personal attraction to the War cannot be questioned (as it is manifested in his letter, and proved by his family and friends), he was then engaged in his own struggle for the recognition of his discovery, for his own post at the university. The clash of the progressive and conservative forces within the second Viennese school also took place at that time. Among the great physicians, predestined to wide-ranging activities, "charged with public spirit", he remained a man of research, aligned, but fighting for the mothers and his own truth. After the supression of the struggle Balassa was imprisoned, Markusovszky and Lumniczer found no work. Although Balassa was soon released and later were given back his chair, they remained under strict police surveillance. Then 12 Antall, J. : Sándor Lumniczer and the Medical School of Pest. = Comm. Hist. Artis Med. 45. (1968), 75 — 84. — Antall J. : Lumniczer Sándor. = A magyar orvosi iskola mesterei. Budapest, 1969. 59 — 70. 13 Lesky, E. : Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis und die Wiener Medicinische Schule, Wien, 1964. — Antall J. : Semmelweis Ignác, 1818 — 1865. = Természettudományi Közlöny 1965. 7. 289 — 293. — Antall, J. : Welche Rolle spielten das Familienheim und die Schule in der Entwicklung von Semmelweis' Persönlichkeit? = Comm. Hist. Artis Med. 46—47. (1968), 95 — 126. 14 Antall J. : Eötvös József Politikai Hetilapja és a kiegyezés előkészítése 1865 — 66. = Századok 1965. 6. 1126 — 1130. 15 Zétény Gy. : A magyar szabadságharc honvédorvosai. Budapest, 1948.