Early concepts on the mechanism of peritonitis with special regard to the experimental work of Karol Klecki.

The term peritonitis is relatively new in medical language, however some of its symptoms were observed and noted even in antiquity. The proper recognition of peritonitis as a distinct pathological entity was made possible when progress in the clinical and experimental sciences give birth to the methodology needed for the investigation of the etiology and mechanism of peritoneal inflammation. Research concerning this clinical topic began to yield significant results in the second half of 19th century.

Salmonella Typhi - historical perspective of discovery and forgotten contribution of Polish anatomopathology.

Outbreaks of typhoid fever for centuries decimated armies, cities and large hosts of people. Discovery of an agent causing such a grave disease became one of the most important achievements of bacteriology - science, which had experienced rapid development in the last quarter of the 19th century and changed the course of our civilization.The article deals with the discovery of Tadeusz Browicz, Polish anatomopathologist, who in 1874 reported about rod-shaped "parasites" in viscera of typhoid fever victim.

Roots of modern cardiology in Poland.

The aim of the paper was to present the achievements of Polish physicians in the field of heart diseases in the times when cardiology was still not established as a separate branch of medicine, i.e. in the last decades of the 19th and the opening decades of the 20th centuries.

Ludwik Bierkowski and the early days of general anaesthesia in the Polish soil in February 1847.

Ludwik Bierkowski belonged to the elite of surgeons of the first half of the 19th century. Educated in an excellent German university, Bierkowski had in-depth and comprehensive knowledge, a wide range of practical skills and was continuously eager to search for new solutions. He introduced cotton wool for wound dressings, experimentally determined the conditions of blood transfusions and published two outstanding anatomo-surgical atlases, which ranks him among the leading physicians of those days.

[Anatomy in the perspective of Kazimierz Kostanecki].

Kazimierz Telesfor Kostanecki (1863-1940) remains one of the most important figures in the history of Polish medicine and natural science. He was the creator of one of the biggest scientific schools on Polish soil, a researcher versatile, working in parallel on many fields of natural science exploration. In his view, anatomy has become a dynamic and comprehensive science, that combines what today belongs to histology, cytology and embryology.

Formalin use in anatomical and histological science in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The introduction of formalin, a formaldehyde solution, as a disinfectant and fixative was an essential improvement in anatomical and histological science. This paper is an outline of the historical use of formalin based on primary source texts and historical studies. We describe how the discovery of acetaldehyde in the 18th century led to the development of formalin as the most common ingredient in embalming fluids in the 20th century and is still used today.

[JUBILEE OF "MEDYCYNA NOWOŻYTNA" ["MODERN MEDICINE MAGAZINE"].

In 1922 appeared the first, proof copy of a magazine which two years later was titled "Modern Medicine. Studies on the history of medicine". The idea to create a new periodical was born among the historians of science, who focused their scientific interest on the topics of medicine's past.

The origins of electrocardiography in Poland.

The progress of science and technology in the 19(th) century enabled better understanding of the electrical activity that occurs during a heartbeat. However, it was only the construction and introduction of the galvanometer that cleared the way for appropriate experimental and clinical studies. Marey, Waller, Wenckebach, Einthoven, and Pardee are just examples of the world's pioneers of electrocardiography.

[Ludwik Karol Teichmann--a preparator].

Ludwik Karol Teichmann significantly contributed to the creation of modern techniques in the anatomical preparations. He was, next to Joseph Hyrtl, the most versatile among the anatomical preparators in the second half of the 19th century, successfully introducing modifications to existing methods, as well as striving for independent solutions in this field. His precision in performance, transparency and sustainability of the whole brain preparations, excellent osteological preparations, including small bones and cartilage, evoked and still evoke high admiration.

[Sigismund Laskowski and his anatomical preparations technique].

Fixation of the entire bodies or individual organs, and later as well tissues and cellular structures, was and still is often a challenge for anatomists and histologists. Technique that combines extensive knowledge of natural sciences, as well as technical skills, was by those best researchers as Frederik Ruysch, brought to perfection. Preparations, if done with care and talent, are really propelling progress in anatomical studies and determining the quality of education for medical students and young physicians.

[Notes from the medical clinic of professor Józef Dietl].

Jozef Dietl was one of the most eminent physicians of 19th century. His influence on the development of medical clinic in Krakow was decisive. Educated in Vienna, Dietl became familiar to the patterns of the s.

[History of medicine by prof. Sebastian Girtlera].

Sebastian Girtler (1767-1833), who later became rector of the Jagiellonian University is known primarily as a lecturer and author of several works of forensic medicine, police attention and veterinary medicine. Not so often we hear of him as a historian of medicine, subject of Girtler's interests, which had a lot of his attention and work. This text, to a significant extent based on archival materials, seeks to reconstruct the teaching program and analyses the content and methodology of the two works directly related to past of medical sciences, which had been written by Girtler himself.

[Evelopment of Krakow's pathological collection in 19th century].

With the evolution of pathological anatomy in the nineteenth century arose the need to create separate collection of preparations, which were used for teaching and studying important anatomical changes. Collections were built on wet preparations (mainly preserved in alcohol), dry, wax models and plaster casts usually taking form of the permanent sets. In this paper are shown, based on the analysis of the preserved documentation and reports, ways of the development of such collections which lead to the formation of the Pathological Museum of the Jagiellonian University.

[Definition of the history of medicine in the interpretation of Władysław Szumowski].

Władysław Szumowski is said to be one of the most eminent Polish historians of medicine. The present text is an attempt of describing Szumowski's ideas of the essence of the history of medicine, its place among sciences and a role it should play in education of future doctors. The paper presents both the definition and the methodology, which in Szumowski's opinion should result from the philosophy, and particularly from the logic.

[Logic of medicine in the interpretation of Władysław Szumowski].

Among Polish philosophers and historians of medicine of the turn of the 19th century Władysław Biegański was justly said to be the most eminent Polish logician of medicine, whose name is mentioned next to Franciszek Oesterlen--an originator of the modern logic of medicine. However, Biegański was not the only person, who among Polish scientists paid so much attention to the discussed domain. After Biegański one should mention with conviction the author of Logika dla medyków ['Logic for Medicals']--Władysław Szumowski.

[The position of mechanic of surgical instruments in the first ten years of prof. Ludwik Bierkowski's clinic].

The aim of this paper is to show the significance of the function of Mechanic of Surgical Instruments in raising up a modern, in 19th century terms, surgical clinic by prof. Ludwik Bierkowski. Exploiting mainly source materials, this article discusses the character of mechanical occupations and his duties.

[Edward Korczyński].

This paper is focused on life and scientific achievement of Edward Korczyński, professor of internal diseases in Jagiellonian University, which is seen by many as a pioneer of modern clinic of internal disease in Poland. Korczyński's name is given just aside such great physicians as Joseph Dietl or Tytus Chałubiński. It is due to his works nitroglycerine was introduced into clinical practise, and it is him, who first in the world could diagnose infarct of the heart in a patient, which became classical and canonical in medicine.

[Philosophy of medicine by Ferdynand Karol Dworzaczek].

This paper is devoted to person of Ferdynand Karol Dworzaczek who should be seen as the first Polish physician and philosopher interested in philosophy of medicine. Well educated, with deep interest in theory and practical side of medicine he became first in Poland and very first in Europe to point the importance of philosophical thinking in medicine. His first lecture on this subject--Preface to Philosophy of Medicine, given in Warsaw in 1856, was in fact first lecture in this field ever given in Poland.

Browicz or Kupffer cells?

The paper is concerned to problem of discovery of macrofage cells present in the liver sinusoid, which are recognized in the world medical literature as Kuppffer cells. On the other hand in Poland the name of professor Tadeusz Browicz is firmly connected with the cells resulting in eponymous Browicz cells. The authors are trying to determine who has priority in this respect; Karl Kupffer, a professor of anatomy in Koniggsberg, and then in München, or professor of pathological anatomy at Jagiellonian University, Tadeusz Browicz.

[Is medicine an art or a science?--considerations in the light of Polish school of medicine philosophy and views of other European doctors from the beginning of 19th century till outbreak of the Second World War"].

This paper is devoted to the problem of real nature of medicine, as it was seen in Polish school of the philosophy of the medicine. Is medicine more (or only) science, or is it an art was the crucial point of discussion, which was held in European philosophy of the medicine for the first time in late 19th century. The important voice in it was given by Polish scientists such as Zygmunt Kramsztyk, Henryk Nusbaum, Władysław Biegański, Edmund Biernacki, Władyslaw Szumowski and Ludwik Zembrzuski.

[A sketch of history of the European tanatopraxis].

Tanatopraxis is an intentional action aiming to stop all the processes, which lead to a complete decomposition of a body after death. The words embalmment or mummification makes us think about cultures of the ancient Egypt or pre-Columbian America and not about burials of Indo-European nomads or Chinese aristocrats. Meanwhile practices aiming to protect mortal remains against a destructive force of death were known in Europe very long ago.