Magyar László szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 133-140. (Budapest, 1991-1992)

ADATTÁR - DOCUMENTATION - Szende Béla: Antal Genersich, a Great Hungarian Pathologist

difference between the human and bovine tuberculotic infection. On the base of morphological studies Gcnersich claimed that the human and bovine tuberculosis bacteria must be different. This discovery was announced by him at the 10

th International Congress of Physicians (Berlin, 1890).

13 Robert Koch was against this theory, but in 1905, at a Congress in London, Koch himself acknowledged the difference between the human and bovine tuberculosis bacteria, without mentioning the name of Genersich. Genersich was the first who described the alcoholic cardiomyopathy in beer-drinkers.

14 This findingalthough not acknowledged by the medical community until now-can be considered as a proof of his congenial inventive spirit. Genersich was a devoted teacher of medical students and young doctors. During his long university career he was Rector of the University of Kolozsvár and later, after he was appointed the chair of the 1st Institute of Pathology at the University of Budapest, also became Rector for a period of this University. He was involved in the issues of freedom in teaching and the order of exams, expressing always a reservation against extreme views. Regarding his speciality, he outlined the rules of autopsy and the description of autopsy records. As pathologist he followed the principles laid down by Virchow, rather than by Rokitansky. Genersich, who was forced by financial reasons to practice medicine in Kolozsvár was the first pathologist in Hungary, who possesed a real clinicopathological skill. Each Saturday he summoned the clinicians of the autopsy cases of the week and demonstrated them the organs and also the frozen sections of the alterations by a section-projector. The clinicopathological problems were discussed at these occasions. Genersich established the Institute of Pathology in Kolozsvár and he re-organized the 1st Institute of Pathology in a new building at the University of Budapest. The libraries of both institutes were practically founded by him. His portrait is still decorating the library of the 1st Institute of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research in Budapest (fig. 2.). An important part of his professional work was to teach forensic medicine for many years and to be active in the Council of Forensic Medicine in Hungary. As an acknowledgement of his scientific and teaching activity, Genersich was given Hungarian nobility by the King and he became nember of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. 13 Genersich, A.: Über das Verhältniss der Perlsucht zur Tuberkulose. Verhandl. desX. intern, med. Congress, Berlin, Band II. Abt. 3, 220, 1891 14 Genersich, A.: Heart and arterial changes induced by regular intake of alcoholic drinks (in Hungarian) — Azokról a változásokról, amelyeket a szíven és az ütőereken a szeszes italok szokásos élvezete előidéz. Magyar orvosok és természetv. vándorgyűlése, 1899 Self-hand drawing of Genersich in an autopsy record of 1866 at the I. Institute of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Reserarch, Budapest. The drawing illustrates a case of dicephalus Janus