Review article
Health Resorts in Styria, Charinthia and Istria once (1897) and today (2007)
Aleš Fischinger
; Department of Traumatology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia
Janez Fischinger
; Department of Othorinolaryngology and Cervicofacial Surgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia
Duša Fischinger
; Slovenian Scientific Society for the History of Health Culture
Ante Škrobonja
; Rijeka University, Faculty of Medicine, Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract
The aim of this study is to determine which health resorts existed in 1897 in Istria, Carinthia and Styria region, how many of them are still in use today and how the spas and their offer were represented in the past and how they are represented today. The study is based on the textbook Balneotherapie II (Bibliothek des Arztes 1900) by prof. dr. Julius Glax. The second source of our study is based on the currently available presentation of the health resorts from the internet. The textbook Balneotherapie was intended for the post graduate education of physicians and general practitioners, so they could advise the patient on further treatment in an appropriate health resort. In the chapter Balneographie the author represented 1200 health resorts all over the world. From the book we have chosen the following regions: Istria, Carinthia and Styria which used to be three parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Today they are divided in to three neighboring states: Croatia (Istria), Slovenia (Istria, Carinthia, Styria) and Austria (Carinthia, Styria). Within these regions Glax presented 22 health resorts, 19 of them are still working today. Barbarabad/Barbara bath (Carinthia, Austria) does not exist either as a resort or as a city. Rimske toplice (Römerbad/Roman baths) and Rimski vrelec (Römerquelle/ Roman springs) in Styria region do not function as health resorts any more. Nowadays we make a difference between spa and health resorts. Spa resorts offer numerous forms of recreation for better well being. Health resorts offer health services, as well as neglected, but various forms of alternative treatments and recreation. Each spa and health resort is represented in brochures and on the World Wide Web individually. Tradition is usually not mentioned, it is neglected but the exception is Opatija (Abbazia) which past is usually presented in the brochures. The museum of medical tourism was opened in November 2007 in Opatija where you can admire the development of Opatija from a small village to a mundane health resort.
Keywords
History of medicine; 19th and 20th century; health resorts; Koruška/Carinthia; Štajerska/Styria; Istra/Istria; Julius Glax
Hrčak ID:
81481
URI
Publication date:
15.6.2008.
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