Szemészet, 2004 (141. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

2004-06-01 / 2. szám

141. évfolyam (2004)

197

among the papers reported from the Society’s meetings. Győrffy’s article provides further important documentation on the establishment of eye clinics and ophthalmic departments.

In 1965 the MOTESZ agency was founded. Its assigned purpose was to co-ordinate the activities of the various medical associations under the umbrella of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

“Szemészet” published the text of Imre Biro’s commemorative lecture “The development of Hungarian ophthalmology in the last 20 years, 1945-1965”. The lecture had been delivered at the meeting held on 19 March 1965. The lecture contains much interesting material; for example, we learn that the previously-amalgamated two Budapest ophthalmology clinics again became independent in 1946. This move was certainly justified. We also learn when the individual departments of the two clinics were set up. The National Institute for Medical In-Service Training (OTKI) was established in 1965. In 1938 there had been 1271 ophthalmology beds in Hungary, while by 1965 the number had risen to 1819. In 1938 the Hungarian Ophthalmological Association had had 187 members; in 1964, its successor the Sub-section had 393. While in 1938 there had been 20 128 trachoma patients registered in Hungary, in 1964 there were only 4311.

Also in this year “Szemészet” published an article on the oculopressor technique which ever since has been so important. The report given at the Innsbruck ophthalmology congress of 1963 was probably the first on this topic.

1966-1970

It was in 1966 that the first report on the surgical treatment by lamellar keratoplasty of injuries due to alkali-burns was published. Surgeries performed on rabbit eyes by Alberth and colleagues showed that this .method produced good results. The treatment of retinal detachment by the cerclage method continued its triumphant progress. Hungarian authors (Galli, Kahán and Oláh, Ferenc Nagy and colleagues) employed various ring materials, all of which gave good results. Studies on corneal vascularisation were begun by György Imre and colleagues. The first report came out on the clinical use of cystein. Imre Brand published a multi-page article titled “Ophthalmology revealed in the mirror of philately”.

In 1966 the Soviet Federal Ophthalmology Society held its meeting from 19-24 September in Volgograd. The number of participants was 1600. Two-thirds of the ophthalmologists were women. A delegation from the Hungarian Ophthalmology Sub-section was also invited. The members were István Lakatos, Rezső Pajor, István Takáts, Károly Turi, and Pál Weinstein. The theme-topic was glaucoma. There were fierce debates between the opposing Moscow and Odessa “schools” regarding its treatment. The extremists of the Moscow school, for instance, insisted that all patients over the age of 40 years should be given pilocarpine from time to time. But at the Pavlov Glaucoma Clinic in the Caucasus, the glaucoma cases were prescribed intensive physical exercises as well as localised treatment. From the Hungarian delegation, Pajor and Weinstein delivered lectures.

On 28 October 1966 the Ophthalmological Sub-section held an electoral meeting. Tibor Nónay was elected President, and János Gáli as General Secretary. By this time “Szemészet” was somewhat in arrears with the publication of the minutes of the Sub-section meetings. It published the minutes for 1965 only in 1967.

In the year 1967 we may learn more about the ultrastructure of the various tissues of the eye, and about tests using polarised light (Radnót and Lovas, Fehér and Valu). New experimental studies on hyalokeratopathy, and on the histology of and therapeutic possibilities for this condition appeared (Zajácz, Süveges). Pál Weinstein published an article titled “Vision and painting”.

On 15 April 1966, Béla Pelláthy died. He was born in 1894. His obituary in “Szemészet” was written by Kettesy. Another name we must mention, although he was not a member of the Sub-section, is that of Rudolf Thiel, emeritus professor at the University of Frankfurt-am-Main. For a long time he was the Editor-in-Chief of the “Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde”, and had regularly published articles by Hungarian authors. The ophthalmological “atlas” edited by him was used by generations of ophthalmologists. He died on 7 September 1967, and his obituary in “Szemészet” was written by Magda Radnót. Hungarian medicine suffered a great loss when Gusztáv Horay died at the age of 73. He was born in 1895. After 1945 he had been the first president of the Sub-section, and was the editor of “Szemészet”. His obituary was written by István Grósz. On 10 October 1968 Aladár Kettesy celebrated his 75th birthday; while Ferenc Kukán was 70 on 6 October.

The Sub-section held its 1967 scientific meeting from 18-20 May in Pécs. There were 54 lectures, and a round-table discussion titled “The early symptoms and therapy of diabetic retinopathy”. The speakers were Imre Barta, György Bikich, Gábor Brooser, János Gáli, István Grósz, Ilona László-Kahán, Tibor Nónay, and Ferenc Varga. The moderator was Pál Weinstein. This time there was no significant publication delay, and the 1967 lectures, as well as the minutes for 1966 and 1967, all appeared in that year’s issue.

In 1967, the name of the organisation was changed once more. It reverted to its pre-war name, “Hungarian Ophthalmological Society” (Magyar Szemorvostárság).

Erős and Grósz reported on the management of blepharospasmus. (Even today, this disease is incurable.) At that time there was no botulin-toxin treatment, so they used the so-called “depot akinesia” (long-term anaesthesia) method. Initially they gave 2% norcain and then sylocain daily in the eyelid (Atkinson injection technique), gradually reducing to once per 2-3 weeks, then 6-weekly, then 3-monthly.

A significant study was published by Judit Sármány, titled “Halothane narcosis in ophthalmology”. She reported on 2032 cases. This was the first such report published in Hungary, although the clinical use of this substance was first reported

100 YEARS OF THE HUNGARIAN OPHTHALMOLOGICAL SOCIETY