[Presentation of the medical activity of dr Valentin Lucas as the first specialist of the obstetrics-gynaecology and venerology in Rijeka, Pula and Labin at the end of the 19th and early 20th century]

Acta Med Hist Adriat. 2017 Dec;15(Suppl1):111-118.
[Article in Croatian]

Abstract

Dr Valentin Lucas was born in Labin on 19 March 1873. His ancestors moved to Labin from Gora (near Labin) in the 17th century. Valentin was a common name in his family. His family was well known for having many well educated members including lawyers, doctors, and priests. The last member of their family was Giacomo who committed suicide few years after the Second World War. According to now known facts, we can say that Dr Valen Lucas was the first doctor in Rijeka who specialised in gynaecology, obstetrics and venereology, with the reputation and knowledge from working in Trieste and Vienna. In Rijeka he established his private practice that was visited by patients of different social backgrounds, which we can find in Dr Valentin Lucas' medical records. Just before Ester in 1909, he accepted a job offer as a one year substitute for Dr Manzini, who was a police-doctor for Harbour Master's Office in Pula. Pula by that time had already established an image of a strategic military Austrian-Hungarian port. In hope for a better life thousands of residents moved to already overpopulatedPula. As their new environment could not render their hopes, many were drawn to refuge in immorality and women in prostitution. Dr Lucas had been fighting against prostitution in Pula, especially against secret prostitution, because that was one of his main goals as a doctor. Though his task was not easy, because there were no organised sanitary and administrative services for that popular social deviation. He died in Labin on 18 February 1932.

Dr. Valentin Lucas rođen je u Labinu 19. ožujka 1873. Njegovi su preci doselili u Labin iz Gore (okolice Labina) u XVII. stoljeću. U obitelji je ime Valentin često. Obitelj je bila poznata i po tome što je imala znatan broj školovanih ljudi, među kojima su najpoznatiji bili liječnici, advokati i svećenici. Posljednji iz tog roda, Giacomo, koji se bavio zelenaštvom, život završava samoubojstvom nekoliko godina nakon Drugoga svjetskog rata. Prema do sada poznatim podacima, dr. Valentin Lucas prvi je liječnik koji je u Rijeci djelovao kao specijalist iz ginekologije, opstetricije i venerologije, s reputacijom i iskustvom stečenom prije dolaska u Rijeku, na klinikama u Trstu i Beču. U Rijeci otvara privatnu ordinaciju koju posjećuju pacijenti svih društvenih slojeva, što se uočava iz pronađene medicinske evidencije obavljenih pregleda. Nakon raspada Austro-Ugarske 1918., vraća se u rodni Labin gdje nastavlja s liječničkim pozivom. Uoči Uskrsa 1909. prihvaća poziv iz Pule za jednogodišnju zamjenu dr. V. Manzinija, policijsko-liječničkog referenta pri Lučkoj kapetaniji. U gradu koji je u to doba već dostigao imidž strateške vojne luke Austro-Ugarske Monarhije, nalazimo sve kontraste naglog razvitka. Nadajući se boljem životu, u tada već tijesnu Pulu pohrlilo je na tisuće novih žitelja. Kako im nova životna sredina nije mogla uzvratiti nadanja, mnogi su zbog bijede našli utočište u nemoralu, a žene u prostituciji. Dr. V. Lucas od samog početka rada u Puli postavlja sebi cilj da kao liječnik sudjeluje u borbi protiv zabrinjavajućeg porasta prostitucije, osobito nekontrolirane, tajne prostitucije. Zadaća nije bila laka s obzirom na to da do njegova dolaska u Puli nije bilo organiziranog nadzora sanitarno-administrativnih službi nad ovom raširenom društvenom devijacijom. Umro je u Labinu 18. veljače 1932. u 59 godini.

Publication types

  • Biography
  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • Austria-Hungary
  • Croatia
  • Gynecology / history*
  • History, 19th Century
  • History, 20th Century
  • Obstetrics / history*
  • Physicians / history*
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / history
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / prevention & control

Personal name as subject

  • Valentin Lucas