J. Antall szerk.: Medical history in Hungary 1972. Presented to the XXIII. International Congress of the History of Medicine / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 6. (Budapest, 1972)

E. Réti: Darwin's Influence on Hungarian Medical Thought (1868—1918) 157 J. Antall, A. Faiudy and K. Kapronczay: József Fodor and Public Health in Hungary

J. Antall—A. Faludÿ — K. Kapronczay : József Fodor 179 of cholera, tiphus and disentary is more frequent, and due to overcrowding, the mortality rate is three times as high as in the efficient dwellings. Under such circumstances, filth plays the role of an indicator in the spread of infections.

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4 In connection with his investigations in the field of the sanitary conditions of settlements, mention should be made of his role as adviser in the building of various public and private buildings. He reported on the designs of the central premises of the Medical Faculty of the University of Budapest and supervised it from a sanitary point of view. He was interested furthermore in the effect of the way of life on health. In his lecture on the "

Hosszú élet feltételei" (Conditions of long life), delivered in the Academy, he pointed out

—based on statistical data

—that owing to inefficient food and wrong way of life, the mortality rate and deaths according to the age of people reveal striking differences among the various strata of society. He combined this with the insanitary conditions of dwellings and compared Hungarian statistical data with those of other nations.

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5 In safeguarding the interest of the population, he considered maternity and children welfare as vitally important.

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6 He fought for the improvement of the working conditions of women and he suggested that midwives should be controlled by the medical officers in the interest of mothers and infants. He pointed out that similar to epidemics, puerperal fever should be similarly registered by the medical officer and its prevention should be organised properly, since "each death caused by puerperal fever injures the memory of Semmelweis, the immortal obstetrician of the University of Pest"

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7 As regards infant care, he refused the increasing of the number of nurseries, being afraid of overcrowdedness and the spread of infectious diseases as a consequence.

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8 He suggested the organisation of infant care on national standards and that of the nation-wide system of medical officers for schools, which propositions are true reflection of his deep humanity.

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9 He was the first to raise the question of the medical care of school-children in Hungary, and he was From 1883 onwards professor of public health at Kolozsvár. Beside research work in relation to the public health of settlements and epidemiological questions he carried out investigations in the field of industrial hygiene especially in connection with work in compressed air and work in th ; printing industry. 2

4 A lakásviszonyok befolyása a cholera és typhus elterjedésére. (Effect of dwelling conditions on the spread of cholera and typhus). Inaugural lecture on the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Communications of the Hung. Ac. of Sciences, Vol. XIV. 1884. — the same in German: Archiv für Hygiene, 1885. 2

5 A hosszú életről (On long life). Annales of the Hung. Ac. of Sciences, 1885. 2

6 Nők az egészség ügyében (Women in public health). Itinerary Congress of Physicians and Natural Historians in Tata 1888. — the same in German: Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift, 1888. 2

7 A gyermekágyi lázról (On puerperal fever). Orvosi Hetilap, Közegészségügyi melléklet, 1882. 2

8 A kisdedóvásról szóló törvényjavaslat (Bill on infant care). Orvosi Hetilap, 1890. 2!

) Középiskolai hygieniai tanárok és iskolaorvosok. (Teachers of public health in secondary schools). Orvosi Hetilap, Közegészségügyi mell. 1885. 12*