Kapronczay Károly szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 218-221. (Budapest, 2012)
KÖZLEMÉNYEK - Gosztonyi György: Környey István (1901-1988)
118 Comm, de Hist. Artis Med. 218—221 (2012) experience in neurosurgery. Sántha chose Wilder Penfield’s Clinic in Montreal, Kömyey joined Percival Bailey in Chicago. Környey’s choice was fortunate, not only from neurosurgical, but also from a neuropathological aspect, since the first classification of brain tumours was the joint achievement of Bailey and Cashing. Környey’s excellent neurological experience and prime diagnostic ability gained appreciation among his colleagues. Kömyey spent the second year of his neurosurgical training in Ann Arbor with Max Peet, who was most appreciated in neurosurgery for his prominent technical ability. At the Neurosurgical Congress in Montreal in 1937 Kömyey met his friend Sántha, subsequently, Sántha visited the Kömyey couple in Ann Arbor. Returning to Szeged, Kömyey started his neurosurgical activity as a guest surgeon at the Surgical Clinic of the University, lead by Kamilló Vidákovics. He reported regularly on his progress both in conferences as well as in medical journals, explaining the future perspectives of neurosurgery. Kálmán Sántha started neurosurgery in Debrecen at the same time and under similar conditions. Before them, two general surgeons, Arnold Winternitz9 10 11 and Imre Láng1" exerted part-time neurosurgical activity in Hungary. However, neurosurgical praxis built upon expertise in neuroanatomy and neurological diagnostics promised better perspectives for the development of this discipline in this country. The re-annexation of North-Transylvania to Hungary in 1940 established a new situation in the university life and required reorganization. Since the University of Szeged was the legal successor of the University of Kolozsvár, the Hungarian government offered to some professors in Szeged positions at the Kolozsvár university.11 Dezső Miskolczy was appointed to the chair of Neurology and Psychiatry. In Kolozsvár, supported by Miskolczy, Környey started soon the creation of neurosurgical practice. The neurosurgery found home in an independent pavilion, as the first division of neurosurgery in Hungary and as the fourth one in Europe.12 Kömyey and his coworkers were accommodated in apartments in the same building. Owing to the approach of the battle-front in autumn 1944 the majority of university teaching staff left Kolozsvár, but Dezső Miskolczy, as rector of the University, remained at his post. Kömyey first moved to Debrecen, and, later, to Budapest, where, during the siege of the city, he participated in the surgical treatment of cranial casualties. At the end of World War II North-Transylvania returned to Romania. The János Bolyai Hungarian University was transferred from Kolozsvár to Marosvásárhely. Here, within a few years, Környey established already for the third time a neurosurgical division. The Romanian Government declared this division as a University Chair for Neurosurgery, and Környey was appointed professor by contract to this chair. Thus, the Neurosurgical Clinic had become the first independent Chair for Neurosurgery in the Carpathian Basin. After the departure of Kömyey his position was taken over by his pupil, Tibor Andrasoffsky. Professor István Környey was appointed director of the Clinic for Neurology and Psychiatry of the Medical University of Pécs in 1947. During his 25 years of leadership the 9 Szirmai I.: op.cit. 10 Mérci F.T.: op.cit. 11 Mcrei F.T.: op.cit. 12 Bodosi M.: Emlékezés Dr. Miskoczy Dezső professzorra (Remembering Professor Dezső Miskolczy). Miskolczy emlékülés, 1994.
