Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/10.58565/vda.3.1.11
Tuberculosis in the demographic picture of Dubrovnik society from 1825 to mid 20th century
Antun Car
orcid.org/0000-0001-5888-8434
; Opća bolnica Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik, Hrvatska
Sažetak
The period in which tuberculosis in Dubrovnik society was followed in this work is the period before the efficient antibiotic anti-tuberculosis therapy. Dubrovnik 19th century society was not taking any special precaution measures against tuberculosis, as the causes searched in constitutionally inherited body features or mystical-vampire causes spread the feeling of fear and helplessness. The discovery of tuberculosis bacillus in 1882 gradually led to the change in the attitude and implementation of many public health measures. The mortality rate of tuberculosis reached its peak during the 19th century, while at the beginning of the 20th century it was gradually dropping. This trend continued until the 1950s, except for war times. In Dubrovnik too, the tuberculosis had the strongest effect on the most productive part of the society. The question of how social circumstances of Dubrovnik community, which was not industrial, as opposed to public health measures taken in that period contributed to the drop in mortality does not regard only Dubrovnik, but has global features, too. During that long period, Dubrovnik improved its poor hygienic conditions inherited from the 19th century and introduced different measures to foster economic and social development. During the 19th century, the treatment from the
previous century was continued without significant changes. However, the foundation of the new hospital of Dubrovnik, opened in 1888, was an incentive for implementing new approaches to tuberculosis treatment. In the hospital, a pavilion for contagious diseases was formed, small at first and insufficient for the needs of the
inhabitants of Dubrovnik. A special ward for pulmonary diseases, “Morska kuća“, created preconditions for isolation, one of the most important measures against tuberculosis. The tuberculosis mortality statistics during the 19th century was not based on firm medical ground. However, gradually, towards the end of the century, the diagnoses were more and more precise and less and less general and symptomatic. While the entire 19th century was modest in the protection measures against tuberculosis, with the foundation of the Anti-tuberculosis Dispensary in 1920, as the first one in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, a significant, socially organised fight against tuberculosis started. The comparison of social activity of Dubrovnik society to other European communities points out crucial differences regarding its lack of industrialisation, highly agricultural environment, as well as poor financial basis for more active social measures. Real anti-epidemic measures,
like vaccination, have been taken systematically since 1950s, when specific medications arrived in Dubrovnik. However, in Dubrovnik the tuberculosis mortality rate dropped even before the vaccine and specific anti-tuberculosis therapy were introduced. Credit for this, back at the beginning of the 20th century, mostly belonged to the activity of dispensary, together with standard improvement, implementation of public health measures, isolation of the sick, improvement of housing conditions, as well as better diet and safer diagnostics.
Ključne riječi
Dubrovnik society; health institutions; measures against tuberculosis; social circumstances; tuberculosis
Hrčak ID:
293976
URI
Datum izdavanja:
24.2.2023.
Posjeta: 353 *