Antall József szerk.: Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 5. (Budapest, 1972)

Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts (Guide for the Exhibition)

XII. SEMMELWEIS AND THE EMERGENCE OF THE MEDICAL SCHOOL OF PEST The outstanding Hungarian physicians of the first half of the 19th century - Rácz, Bene, Bugát and Schoepf-Merei - despite their activity of lasting value did not form any medical "school" of their own. To the formation of a medical school several factors are needed, e. g. excellent organisers, experts of high professional knowledge, common maxims and approaches, kindred ideas and last but not least a political climate favourable for these activities. In 1850 all these factors mentioned above seemed to be given

: János Balassa, the excellent surgeon had been teaching at the University of Pest since 1843. His active role in the War of Independence got him into prison during the period of Habsburg oppression. After his release he hegan his work as an organiser. With his friends who gathered around him he organized riding tours where they discussed the questions of policy and medicine in Hungary. This is why they were given the name "Façulté de medicine á cheval", i. e. the riding medical faculty. In 1850 Ignác Semmelweis joined this circle, too. Other outstanding persons of the circle were Lajos Markusovszky, Frigyes Korányi, Sándor Lumniczer and Ignác Hirschler. In the 60-ies Hungarian medicine could boast with such names as Lajos Arányi, Jenő Jendrassik, József Lenhossék, Ferenc Sschwartzer, János Wágner and Tivadar Margó. The significance of the Medical School of Pest is that its members of excellent knowledge and wide intellectual horizon raised Hungarian medicine to European rank. I. János Balassa János Balassa (1814-1868) (Fig. 59.) received his diploma as a surgeon in Vienna. In 1839 he worked in the Surgical Clinic, then in the Allgemeines Krankenhaus. Here he was appointed deputy of the head physician. In the show-case we present the authentic copy of the certification signed by Skoda which states that Balassa had attended the lectures on percussion and auscultation organized by the T. B. department. The other document dating from 24 October 1838. is a permission for Balassa to enter the Pathological Institute. After a longer study - tour to Western countries he was appointed Professor of Surgery to the University of Pest. During the War of Independence of 1848/49 he was director of the Medical Faculty and Military Hospital. For this reason he was imprisoned and he could return to his cathedra only after his release in 1851. Here he introduced a modern surgical teaching which he combined with practice. We should bear in mind that he was among the first in Europe who operated under general anaesthetization. He was searching for