[1901 Sławiecice Lung Hospital and Goetsch and Robert Koch testing on tuberculine]

Arch Hist Filoz Med. 1996;59(1):57-8.
[Article in German, Polish]

Abstract

In 1884 count Hohenlohe August Hospital at Sławiecice (Slawentzitz) was opened. The first head of the hospital was privy councellor dr Goetsch. Basically the hospital was of a general nature yet its patients came mainly from the staff of Hohenlohe-Oehringen estate. However Goetsch was interested first of all in TP the tuberculine testing. His research made the Sławiecice hospital famous. In the early 90-ties of the 19 c. he succeeded in getting Robert Koch to cooperate. A number of tuberculin inoculations took place at Sławiecice. Testing done on Duke Hohenlohe-Oehringen's cattle aroused considerable interest at home and abroad. Tuberculine testing fame influenced the Duke who donated a special centre for consumptive people (Lugenheilanstalt). Naturally it meant TB at the time was one of the very serious diseases of circulatory system. The centre remained an integral part of the Duke's hospital. The newly built centre, had special areas for deck chairs, climatic treatment and isolation of the sick. The surrounding woodlands drew the patients and helped the development of the lung centre. The Centre for Treatment of Lung Diseases at Sławiecice was one of the earliest of its kind within the borders of the then Prussia--Germany and all over the world. The scientific co-operation of Goetsch and Koch lasted till 1903 that is the former's death. An agreeable situation, the Duke's donations, the illness of his family member, the fame of Koch and the interest and tests of Goetsch all added up to setting up the hospital which has survived the two world wars and silesian uprisings. It took a century to change a panorama of lung diseases: in the first half of the 20 c. it was TB at present it is lung cancer, immunological diseases and anthracosis.

Publication types

  • Biography
  • English Abstract
  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • Clinical Medicine / history
  • History, 19th Century
  • History, 20th Century
  • Hospitals / history*
  • Humans
  • Poland
  • Tuberculin / history*
  • Tuberculosis / history*

Substances

  • Tuberculin

Personal name as subject

  • None Goetsch
  • R Koch