Dr. Murai Éva szerk.: Parasitologia Hungarica 19. (Budapest, 1986)

After the National Institute of Hygiene was established in Budapest in 1927, Professor Béla JOHAN, Director, invited LŐRINCZ to join the institute. It was under JOHAN's inspiration that LŐRINCZ' s interest in human parasitology was aroused. He organised and called into existence the Department of Histopathology and Parasitology of the National Institute of Hygiene, initiated screening tests to survey parasitic infection of the human population, and embarked on research which later formed the basis of eradication programmes for ancylostomiasis (miner's disease) and malaria, programmes that met with full success. At that time his main field had been protozoology research, but his results in echinococcosis epidemiology and in the control of flies and mosquitoes had also attracted international attention. Owing to his activity in establishing and setting in operation the Department of Parasitology of the National Institute of Hygiene, we honour Ferenc LŐRINCZ as founder of human parasitology in Hungary. In 1935, in acknowledgement of his parasitology research, he was awarded the "János BALASSA" Prize, whereas in 1939 the "Károly MÉSZÁROS" Prize was conferred upon him as a recognition of his work in malaria research. In 1934 he was appointed Honorary Lecturer of medical parasitology at the Faculty of Medicine of the "Pázmány Péter" University in Budapest. In 1936 he had to take upon himself the lead of the Institute of Hygiene and Pathology of the "Ferenc József"

University of Szeged, a post that had fallen vacant suddenly. As greatest recognition of his activity as head of that institute, the degree "honorary (Honoris Causa) doctor" of the Medical University of Szeged was conferred upon him in 1980. Between 1940 and 1942 he was head of the Institute of Hygiene of the "Ferenc József" University that had moved back to Kolozsvár, and he was Ex-Dean of the university, too. In 1943 he went back to the National Institute of Hygiene where he worked as director up to 1946. As the age of 48, he was compelled to make another modification in his career. Nevertheless, this third stage of his life-work has yielded significant results in the field of food quality control and Hungarian meat research. As a recognition of his work, in 19 54 he was decorated with the "Order of Labour". In 1956 LORLNCZ earned the degree "Academic Doctor of Medicine". When the Hungarian Meat Research Institute was established in 1959, LŐRINCZ, who had been the initiator and animator of the idea of calling it into existence, became its first director. The results of LŐRINCZ's scientific activity were published in 171 papers: about one-third of these are concerned with parasitology. In addition, he wrote, co-authored or edited 18 books, book chapters, and lecture notes; 3 of them fall within the scope of parasitology. In 1946, when the Hungarian Society of Parasitologists was founded, LŐRINCZ was elected as a member of the Presidium, to acknowledge his active contribution to the establishment of the Society. In 1967, when Sándor KOTLÁN, President of the Hungarian Society of Parasitologists, resigned, Ferenc LŐRINCZ was elected as new president. In the 5 years that were to come, he performed his duties with genuine enthusiasm and responsibility. From 1972 he continued his activity as Honorary President of the Society. He actively participated in launching the Society's journal, Parasitologia Hungarica, in 1968, and was a member of its Editorial Board until he died. He was the first holder of the Society's commemorative medal. When Professor LORLNCZ retired and on the occasion of his 80th birthday, the government of the Hungarian People's Republic acknowledged his devotional life-work by conferring upon him the highest ("gold") degree of the "Order of Labour '. The death of Professor Ferenc LŐRINCZ is a grievous loss to Hungarian parasitology as well as to Hungarian medicine and food research, disciplines which have lost an outstanding personality and scholar. His spirit will live on in the activity of his colleagues and students.