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)

M. Vida : Serving two Nations: Tivadar Duka (1825—1908)

M. Vida : Serving two Nations: Tivadar Duka. 207 He settled down in South Kensington, then known as "Asia Minor" after the many retired Indian and other colonial officials residing there. One of his two sons became a barrister while the other, Albert, followed the father's steps and became a physician. As field surgeon he took part in the Boer War and won the Distinguished Service Order after the battle of Elands River Camp. Tivadar Duka was elected member of several scientific societies like the Royal Asiatic Society, the British Bible Society, St. George's Hospital and of course the Hungarian Association in London. He invited Hungarian scientists into Britain, sent the Library of the Hungarian Academy English and Indian books on medicine and orientalism. According to the evidence of his surviving correspondence such relations became more intensive from the 1880's onwards. E.g. Ármin Vámbéry the noted explorer and orientalist in 1885 informed him of his willingness to comply with Duka's request and give a talk in the Hungarian Association.

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0 Duka was in permanent contact with the Librarian of the Academy, Pál Hunfalvy and later in the 1890's with his successor, Ágost Heller. He sent Hunfalvy the works of Rajendralala Mi ra and the latter's thanks for the commemoration of Atkinson.

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1 Duka never missed an opportunity to visit Hungary and personally work for the intensification of the relations. He delivered memorial lectures on several corresponding members of the Academy whom he had known personnaly. The first of these was held in 1881 on the explorer William Stephen Atkinson, "the Indian patriot" as he was called by Rajendralala Mi ra. In 1892 and 1899 he had to fulfil this sad duty on Mi ra himself, on Arthur Grote, and on Spencer Wells, the pioner of ovariotomy.

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2 In 1885 he was invited to attend the International Medical Congress in BudaPest and was elected chairman of the section dealing with tropical diseases. Another aspect of his activities was to represent the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1890 at the celebrations organized by the Academy to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the death of Gáspár Károli, the Hungarian translator of the Bible. 4

0 Ármin Vámbéry to Tivadar Duka. Newcastle, May 3 1885. MTA Kézirattár. Ms 5069/176. 4

1 Tivadar Duka to Pál Hunfalvy. Torquay, December 22 1881. MTA Kézirattár. Levelestár. 4

2 Duka, Tivadar: Emlékbeszéd William Stephen Atkinson felett. (Memorial Lecture on William Stephen Atkinson) Budapest, 1881. — Emlékbeszéd Radzsa Radzsendralala Mi ra felett. (Memorial Lecture on Radja Rajendralal Mi ra) Budapest, 1892. — Emlékbeszéd Grote Arthur felett. (Memorial Lecture on Arthur Grote) Budapest, 1889. — Emlékbeszéd Spencer Wells felett. (Memorial Lecture on Spencer Wells) Budapest, 1899.