Review article
Vukovec near Križevci and Ogulin – centres for the treatment of rabies The Nemčić Family: Treating rabies per aspera ad astra and back (Part 1)
Petar Džaja
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
*
Magdalena Palić
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Ivan Zemljak
orcid.org/0000-0002-1186-4774
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Jakov Ćorić
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Krešimir Severin
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Anđelko Gašpar
Ivan Križek
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Throughout history, both in this country and the world, there have always been and always will be people who, without any special knowledge or the necessary education, take it upon themselves to treat people and animals from a variety of very often incurable diseases. This essay presents the work of the Nemčić (Niemčić) family who treated rabies in people and animals who had been bitten by sick animals suspected of suffering from the disease, in the area around Vukovec, near Križevci. The Nemčić family treated people suffering from rabies using dried and crushed Cantharidin (Cantharides – Spanish fly), willow gentian extract (Gentiana asclepiadea) and elecampane (Inula helenium). They gave them a quantity of 1.5 g of
powder composed of dried pieces of the insects (Musca hyspanica) mixed in wheat flower. The course of treatment consisted of taking the powder in wine on an empty stomach, three times a day, where the number of crushed insects was gradually increased, so that on the fifth day of treatment five insects were given. After the last meal, veins under the tongue were pierced and several drops of blood let out. By the permit of the Hungarian Royal Council in Budapest of 21st July 1835, no. 2233, the Nemčić family were given permission to conduct experiments or the treatment of people using their secret medicine, with their consent. According to Dr. Repe, they discovered this method of treatment from a wounded soldier they had
cared for at the beginning of the 18th century, and it had been passed on from generation to generation. Pursuant to the Health Act of 1906, Articles 16 and 17, The Order of the Croatian-Slavic-Dalmatian Provincial Government, Department of Internal Affairs of May 6, 1902, number 29 371-901 was revoked by the following statement: “the opinion of the provincial health council is hereby declared invalid, and therefore the members of the Nemčić family from Vukovac, in the district of Križevci, are prohibited, under threat of sanctions pursuant to Article 112 of the same Act, from making any further attempt at treating those bitten by animals suffering from or suspected of suffering from rabies. The medical profession assessed treatment by the Nemčić family to be unacceptable, and by order no. 1233, in reference to Article 112 of the Health Care Act, on 1st February 1919 revoked the Nemčić’s licence for treatment.” The Nemčić Family, as common and uneducated people, had become well-known and for a while were recognised and famous. Although following Pasteur’s discovery their work was banned, they not only did not return to what they
had once been, a normal family from the village of Vukovec, albeit without any material gain, they were later called fraudsters, crooks and the like. Although their work was prohibited, people continued to come to them for treatment.
Keywords
the village of Vukovec; Nemčić; rabies; treatment; quackery
Hrčak ID:
329733
URI
Publication date:
1.4.2025.
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