Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 97-99. (Budapest, 1982)

KISEBB KÖZLEMÉNYEK - ELŐADÁSOK - Csillag István: Gruby Dávid (angol nyelven)

He was extremly modest and puritan, he was said to have worn the same old-fashioned havelock for 30-40 years, he did not sleep in bed only on cushions. His meals were also simple but at his parties he gave every fortnight and where the cream of Paris appeared, the richest feasts were served. Korányi described his Hungarian cuisine: goulash meat, stuffed cabbage, curdy noodles, old Tokay wine.

41 In the dining room, under the table, the floor opened and rose upon press of button full of Tokay wines. He had paintings from Corot, Diazé, Gustave Doré, Munkácsy, Paál, Zichy, Wagner and Bruck, all of them given as a present to him by the artists.

42 He never founded a family. Life is short

—he would say

—family takes much time, a man of science should not found a family. He permanently supported his relatives in Hungary. His father's letter: "answer me by return of mail whether you could send me with good heart and without any mental reservation 200 forints by check.

. . I should like to know the goodness and gallantry of Baron Rotschild. " His brother's letter: "Since my daughter Ilona has become a bride I ask you to send me 100 forints. Please help me, because it will be a good match and I am unable to give her anything. . . fare thee well."

i3 FURTHER DATA TO DOCTOR DÁVID GRUBY'S LIFE The new data I have come accross in the course of my researches prove that he was strongly attached to the ideals and heroes of the war of independence of 1848^49. It came to light that Blanka Teleki, who had been sentenced as a freedom fighter to very strict confinement in a fortress for ten years, after getting out in 1857 of her dreadful prisons, she became one of his patients and David Gruby was even beside her death-bed.

44 He kept up constant connection with the Teleki and De Gerando families. Ágost De Gerando, the French writer who turned into Hungarian, in 1840 married in Paris Blanka Teleki's sister, Teréz Brunswick's niece, Emma. When war of independence broke out he was smuggled over the frontier, blindfolded, and although a Frenchman he took part in the battle of Győr. He earned distinction, saved the Hungarian flag, emigrated after the defeat of Világos, but died on the way. It should be remarked that he learned the Hungarian language, wrote a book on Hungary and Transylvania, was elected member of the Hungarian Academy of Science in 1846.

45 His wife was a genuine friend and admirer of Dávid Gruby. In her book written for her children that appeared anonymously in Paris, she described the history of Dávid Gruby's childhood.

46 Le Leu wrote (p. 81): Vauteur de ce récit, madame Auguste de Gerando, née comtesse Teleki, en tenait les détails essentiels de Gruby lui-même, qui la voyait beaucoup: elle réprésentait pour lui Vhèroique passé de la Hongrie*

1 41 S. no. 10 42 S. nos. 7, 11 43 S. no. 30 44 Sáfrán, Györgyi: Teleki Blanka és köre (Blanka Teleki and her society). Lővei Klára jegyzetei Telek Blanka fogságáról. (Klára Lővei's notes on Blanka Teleki's imprisonment.) Bp., 1963. 455 45 Lukács, Móric: Emlékbeszéd De Gerando Ágost felett. (Memorial address upon Ágost De Gerando.) MTA Emlékbeszédek, I. 1860 46 S. no. 17 47 S. no. 1