Comparative analysis of medications prescribed by Vilnius doctors, 1801-1802

Aim of the research: to perform comparative analysis of prescripted drugs by selected Vilnius doctors. Object of research: determine the amount of registered prescriptions by doctors A. L. Bekiu, J. O’Conor, Neyman, Heyman, Einholm, Hausman, Woynitz and analyze their content; compare what herbal medicines were given to their patients by doctors and to investigate which pharmacological group they were classified according to that classification at that time; to analyze what chemicals were prescribed by doctors; to examine and compare what animal material was prescribed and to which pharmacological group they were classified according to that classification; evaluate what medical doctrines were used by doctors. Methodology: Research was made using descriptive method, as well as the comparative and content analysis method. Prescriptions were studied that were prescribed by doctors who were probably the Brown theory followers: Bekiu, O'Conor, Neyman, Heyman, Einholm, Hausman, Woynitz. Based on scientific literature, evaluated whether the applied therapies reveal which medical doctrine was used by doctors. Results: At the beginning of XIX century the leading trend in Europe was humoral medical doctrine and brownism. The therapies and the treatment methods used by doctors A. L. Bekiu, Einhom, Woynitz, Heyman and Neyman are likely to be the principles of Brown doctrine. In their practice, doctors used plant-derived raw materials, such as opium, rhubarb, ipecacuanha, mint, marshmallow, cinchona, camphor, valerian and etc. The most common chemical based materials were tartar emecic, eather, ammonium, magnesium, iron, antimony, mercury salts. Animal based materials: beaver’s gland, musk, cantharides, bull bile and honey. The most commonly used were the stimulant-acting (stimulianta) substances. Findings: The comparative analysis of the prescriptions issued by the selected doctors reveal that most often they treated the body by stimulants and relied on Brown theory