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)
G. Jeszenszky: Medical and Sanitary Conditions in Hungary as Seen by British Travellers, 1790—1848
G. Jeszenszky : Medical and Sanitary Conditions in Hungary ... 83 supplied his readers with the ingredients of the waters 5 4 and the diseases against which they we re recommended, but he himself had little faith in their effectiveness. 5 5 A similar lack of confidence was disclosed by Hunter. 5 6 In connection with the fashionable bath of Szliács Paget tells a fine anecdote, not without some medical interest. "Some drink the waters , as well as use them in bathing; and it is considered best to do both together ... A trick, neatly played on an unfortunate Austrian Countess, whose pride and illtemper had rendered her the enemy of the whole bath, deterred me from venturing . A mischievous knight, who offered to fill her glas, for her, by a cunning sleight of hand exchanged the clear water of the spring for the dirty contents of the bath; and if the homoeopathic doctrine be true —similia similibus curantur —, gave her an opportunity of getting rid of some dozen horrible diseases at a single draught." 5 7 This little anecdote is a clear example of the overall value of the medical references and similar utterances made by British travellers. One ought not have expected from them any serious modification of Hungary's medical past, but their observations illuminate many aspects of it and offere valuable comments on the contemporary situation, both general and medical. 5 4 This was made possible by the examinations and publications of Heinrich Johann Crantz (Vienna, 1773), József Österreicher Manes (Buda, 1781), Ferenc Ņÿųlas (Kolozsvár, 1800), J. Winter and Pál Kitaibel. The comprehensive Hydrographia Hungáriáé appeared in Pest in 1829 and was compiled by János Szilárd Schuster. 5 5 It was a common feature of that time (perhaps a late remnant of the Age of Reason) to underrate the value of all natural methods of curing and of popular curing customs in general. Paget visited many spas, including Pöstyén (I. pp. 65-6.), Szliács (I. p. 375), Trencsénteplic (I. p. 94) (today all in Slovakia: Piest'any, Sliac, Trencianské Teplice), and Mehádia (II. pp. 144-5., today in Rumania). 5 6 "They are in high repute for the removal and radical cure of a variety of complaints. The man who shewed, seemed to have an implicit faith in their efficacy, and was very verbose in relating the prodigies they had operated ." Hunter, II. p. 331. 5 7 Paget, I. p. 375.
