Magyar László szerk.: Orvostörténeti Közlemények 174-177. (Budapest, 2001)

KÖZLEMÉNYEK — COMMUNICATIONS - Kapronczay Károly: A short history of the urology in Hungaiy. — (A magyarországi urológia rövid története.)

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE UROLOGY IN HUNGARY KÁROLY KAPRONCZAY 1. Preface Physicians have already been interested in the illnesses of secreting organs for a very long time which is proved by the archaeological findings, written and objective relics of the ancient Mediterranean civilisations. Even the physicians of the Ancient Greek and Roman medical schools were engaged in the problems of lithiasis. They prevented urinary stasis by sticking a tube up into urethra with which they pushed bladder stones aside or through which they carried urine off, applying it as a catheter. Even the word "catheter" comes from the Ancient Greek verb "kathiemi" meaning "carry off. Some scientists say that the S-formed catheter was an invention of Erasistratos. It was applied even for litholapsia by Paulus Aegineta whose experiences were taken over by Abul-Kasim, Guy de Chauliac and Florentinus in the Middle Ages. The basic material of catheters was bronze, silver or tin. Physicians in the Middle Ages distinguished soft and rigid catheters. They used rigid ones for carrying urine off, soft ones for trying to remove bladder stones. The blocking of catheters had always caused much trouble until Ambroise Paré, the richest and wittiest innovator of instruments in the 16th century, put silver catheter guide in catheter, ceasing each blocking with a simple movement. In the Middle Ages they already often applied the irrigation of urinary bladder to set urine in motion or to remove small bladder stones and grains of sand. Some of such methods for irrigation were elaborated by the above-mentioned Abul-Kasim, Guy de Chauliac and the Spanish E. Franco. Stones remaining in urinary bladder caused pain and started inflammatory processes even later. That is why as early as the Ancient Times lithotomy was attempted. Galenos was the first to advise to stick a bent finger into rectum to press bladder stones towards perineum so that bladder stones could be removed after cutting through the soft parts stretched by the pressure. In the 16th century Mariano Santo performed lithotomy with a directing pathfinder. It is evident from the contemporary descriptions written by physicians that lithotomy was regarded as one of the most serious and dangerous kinds of surgical interventions and they performed it just most rarely preferring lithotripsy. Lithotomy was mostly performed by wandering surgeons "specialised" in it but generally they were ignorant quacks. They advertised their services in fairs and markets and caused their patients a lot of pain. With regard to the incalculable consequences of lithotomy, the first orders against quackery in Hungary were most severe on those performing it. The first anatomically elaborated processes of lithotomy were performed in the 17th century by skilled physicians and surgeons applying special instruments. The first of such