Szemészet, 2004 (141. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2004-06-01 / 2. szám
192 Szemészet to know and respect each other... The Hungarian Ophthalmological Society was an excellent training-school for the junior ophthalmologist.” József Imre jun. was President of the Society from 1941 up to his death in 1945. He was a renowned ophthalmologist of extraordinary ability; which was combined with equally outstanding personal qualities. He openly and determinedly opposed the fascist tendencies of the period. He was convinced of the value of active participation and discussion during the scientific sessions. In this spirit, whatever the topic, he was usually the one to open the debate. His aim was doubtless to contribute to the education of others. A sad event of the year 1941 was the death of Emil Grósz, at the age of 76. In his obituary in the December 1941 issue of “Szemészet” we read: “Fate was merciful to him, and answered his prayer: his long, productive, and happy life was concluded with a brief full-stop.” Returning from an evening stroll, he had fallen victim to a sudden heart-attack and died within minutes. In this second issue of “Szemészet” for 1941 there is an article by István Csapody, which had originally been delivered as a lecture at a Society meeting held on 5 October. The paper was called “On a 50-year-old Hungarian ophthalmology manual”, and concerned the textbook written by his father, titled simply “A guidebook” (“Útmutató”). The book’s text is characterised by its excellent clarity and linguistic structure. At the same time however its author introduced innovations in Hungarian medical vocabulary which are now established usage. I commend it to all those who have an interest in old and new terminology. Here are some examples (literal translations of the Hungarian expressions are given): “half-different refraction” (anisometropia); “half-blindness” (hemianopsia); “near-sightedness” (myopia); “lens-lack” (aphakia); “bent eyelash” (trichiasis); “dwarf eye” (micro-ophthalmus); “guest eye” (prosthesis); etc. Because of the war the scientific sessions, and also the publication of “Szemészet”, occurred only irregularly; nevertheless the professional work continued. It was in June 1942 that Kettesy held his famous lecture “On skin transplantation”, in which he first popularised the technique of split-thickness free skin grafts. This stimulated a vigorous but productive debate. In his conclusion, he emphasised that his aim was to call attention to certain points which were new, or were not consistent with information given in current textbooks. In 1944 a double-issue of “Szemészet” appeared (nos. 1-2). The first article was a historical retrospective on the occasion of the journal’s 80th anniversary, written by Győrffy. In this number too appeared Magda Radnót’s first article on the topic of hormonal effects, which later became her principal research interest; it was titled “The role of neuro-hormonal factors in the regulation of intra-ocular pressure”. Following the pioneering work of József Imre, she and her co-workers later carried out experimental work in this field. In 1945, the drastic changes at the end of the War also affected the profession. The “Free Trade-Union of Hungarian Doctors” (“Magyar Orvosok Szabad Szakszervezete”) was founded, and within this organisation there was an “Ophthalmology Subsection” (“Szemész Szakcsoport”) which was appointed as the legal successor to the Hungarian Ophthalmological Society. Gusztáv Horay became its President, and István Grósz its General Secretary. This was an era when there was a “changing of the guard” between the old and new generations of ophthalmologists. At the general meeting held on 9 October 1948, several new committees were formed. Among these were the “Professional Standards Committee”, the “Committee for Further Training”, the “Planning Committee”, the “Committee on Questions Relating to Blindness”, and the “Press Committee”. Between 1945 and 1948 there were 22 scientific sessions and 3 general meetings; in all, 146 lectures. The “Ophthalmology Subsection” held its first scientific session on 26 May 1948. At this session it was announced that, thanks to the joint financial support of the Trade Union and the Subsection, “Szemészet” would recommence publication in 1949. In September 1948 the Subsection organised a meeting to commemorate the centenary of the 1848 Hungarian freedom struggle. Lectures were delivered by several foreign ophthalmologists including Bietti, Pascal, and Alajmo. The leadership of the Subsection attempted to establish links with experts in other professional fields, to provide external specialist knowledge for the benefit of the members. In 1949 for example the members could read a thorough account of the blood-circulation of the eye, in a 20-page article written by the anatomy professor Ferenc Kiss. An article by Pál Weinstein, titled “Experiments concerning vena aqueosa”, was intimately linked with the aforementioned paper, and provided experimental illustrations. In the national census held on 31 December, the Central Statistical Office included questions relating to blindness. The Ophthalmology Subsection asked its members to assist the local medical officials in this connection. The previous year, Prof. Béla Pelláthy had proposed that in the course of the BCG anti-tuberculosis vaccination programme, the subjects should also be screened for trachoma. Trachoma was at this time still a very severe problem in Hungary. The practice of reviewing the contents of other professional journals was continued. In the political isolation of that period, this was extremely valuable in providing a current perspective on developments elsewhere. The subsection also considered it very important to set up further-training courses, both in Budapest and in the provinces. “Szemészet” published information on ophthalmological congresses held in various parts of Europe. Daily life, politics, and professional life can never be separated, then or now. Today’s reader is however struck by the way in which “Szemészet” at times paid particular attention to achievements in the Soviet Union. For example, Béla Boros wrote a special article for the 70th birthday of Comrade Generalissimo Stalin, in praise of his merits and those of the USSR. In 1949, “Szemészet” published Aladár Kettesy’s habilitation lecture which he gave on the occasion of his installation in the rector’s chair at the University of Debrecen. He said: “Science is ideology, and as such it is a component of intellectual Magdolna Zajácz
