[Medico-historical monuments in Hungary from the times of Matthias Hunyadi].

Abstract

Author attempted to collect all available medical data of the period of the reign of Mathias Corvinus (1443-1490) who ruled Hungary for 32 years. First part of this article outlines the general medical history of this era. In the 15th century the flourishing Kingdom of Hungary was inhabited by 3-3.2 million people. Under the rule of King Matthias epidemies were frequent visitors, plague e.g. was registered 11 times, while sudor anglicus once (in 1485). The ca. 120 hospitals of the era were founded mostly in towns and market-towns. At the same time 12 leprosories worked throughout the country. Strikingly many dates and details could be collected concerning medical doctors and surgeons working in Hungary. A list of 69 medical doctors and surgeons (60 physicians and 9 surgeons) of this era known by their names is attached to the article. The second and third part of the treatise is a medical history of King Matthias of his relatives and of his court. We can read here a report on the illnesses and death of Janus Pannonius and of Joannes Vitéz who both played an important role in Hungarian culture. Author's further inquiry is focused on diseases and death of the king. Cause of his death was--according to contemporary sources and our present-day knowledge--a cerebral apoplexy. On 6th April 1490 Matthias died suddenly but not unexpected, since his health had already been deteriorated critically during the previous two years, and he had long been crippled by gout. The king's condition had been worsened probably as an effect of factors caused by visceral form of gout. These factors were cardiovascular and renal damages and hypertension, which resulted the fatal cerebral apoplexy causing the king's sudden death.