Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 89-91. (Budapest, 1980)

TANULMÁNYOK - Schultheisz, Emil: A középkori magyarországi egyetemek és kapcsolatuk Krakkóval (angol nyelven)

TANULMÁNYOK MEDIAEVAL UNIVERSITIES IN HUNGARY WITH SPECIAL RELATIONS TO CRACOW* EMIL SCHULTHEISZ In spite of the language barrier mutual interests between Poland and Hungary have a long tradition. The reasons of this fact are connected with similar political conditions as well as historical development. That is why there developed some personal contacts between physicians who met in various towns of Europe in scientific centres, royal courts and of course in universities. I am afraid it is not possible to give in a relatively short time a complete picture about historical development of the late mediaeval univerisities, especially of medical faculties. Therefore I will try shortly to speak about some — I would say typical — moments of this theme. University life gradually came to exercise a profound effect on social, political and intellectual conditions. In most of the Universities Medical Faculties grew up. Medical teaching was deeply influenced by Latin translations of Arabic texts. The translation of writings in medicine and natural sciences from Arab into Latin in the European medicine of the late Middle-Ages represented a fundamental change both in views and in practice. This literature was translated mainly in the 12th and 13th centuries, its impact could be observed till the end of the 16th and the middle of the 17th centuries, respectively. Medical historians have a different opinion of the significance of the taking over of the Arabic medicine. This is partly due to the different erudition of researchers, partly to differences in views. The first centres of the Latin reception of Arabism were Salerno and Toledo. The leader of the former school was Constantinus Africanus and of the latter one — Gerardus de Cremona. The Greek-Arab doctrines through Chartres and Palermo spread over whole Europe, their impact could be felt in the Hungarian and Polish medicine of that time, too. Arabic medicine not only preserved for posterity the doctrines of the Greek physicians but through some outstanding scholars it also created something new in pharmacotherapy, epidemiology and in the description of some diseases. The scientists having translated these of the Arabic medicine into Latin in the late Middle-Ages were not only translators but also co-authors: they included in the tractates their own observations, experiences, too. When these translations reached the readers as well as the students for whom they were intended they were eagerly studied. The texts were, however, by no means * Paper presented at the Medical Academy of Jagelló University, Cracow on April 22, 1980, on the occasion of receiving the degree of honorary doctor.