The Dawn of Modern Medicine: An Account of the Revival of the Science and Art of Medicine Which Took Place in Western Europe During the Latter Half of the Eighteenth Century and the First Part of the NineteenthBuck, Albert H. (Albert Henry)
History
The Dawn of Modern Medicine: An Account of the Revival of the Science and Art of Medicine Which Took Place in Western Europe During the Latter Half of the Eighteenth Century and the First Part of the Nineteenth
Buck, Albert H. (Albert Henry)
Medicine -- Europe -- History; Medicine -- History -- 18th century; Medicine -- History -- 19th century; Physicians -- Europe -- Biography
Of the other works published by Peter Frank, works which deal with
pathology and the practice of medicine, the most important is that
entitled “_De Curandis Hominum Morbis Epitome_” (“An abridged treatise
on the diseases to which man is liable”). As he progressed with the
writing of this treatise Frank undoubtedly discovered that he could not,
with any degree of satisfaction, accomplish his original design of
compressing what he had to say into an “epitome”; and so, from this time
forward, he carried on the work, without paying any further attention to
his original plan of an abridgment, until the book had reached its sixth
volume; and even then it was not completed.[8] Despite its
incompleteness this work passed through several editions, for it was
highly appreciated for its practical character and for the clearness of
its descriptions of disease.
In 1785 Frank accepted an invitation to take charge of the clinical
instruction at the University of Pavia, in the place of Tissot who
had resigned. Through Frank’s advice and persistent efforts the
medical department of the Pavia University was enriched by the
addition of a chair of physiology and comparative anatomy, an
anatomical theatre capable of seating 400 auditors, and a collection
of pathologico-anatomical preparations to which all the hospitals of
that part of Lombardy were obliged to contribute suitable specimens.
The establishment of a surgical clinic was another of the
improvements in the teaching facilities of the University that
should be credited to Peter Frank. The length of the medical course
was at his suggestion extended to five years. Among his associates
in the Faculty at this period were the following distinguished men:
Scarpa, in the chair of surgery, Scopoli, in that of pharmacology,
and Volta in physics.
In November, 1795, Frank returned to Vienna and was almost immediately
appointed Director of the Allgemeine Krankenhaus and Professor of the
Medical Clinic with a salary of 5,000 florins and the privilege of
occupying rent-free a house that was located in the immediate
neighborhood of the hospital. At the same time the title of Aulic
Councillor (_Hofrath_) was conferred upon him. One of the first
improvements which he effected in the clinic was to have the small wards
for male and female patients materially enlarged so that when
twenty-five or thirty patients were present, as was often the case, the
air might not become noticeably contaminated and thus rendered unfit for
all who were present to breathe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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