SUBJECTS OF PUBLIC HEALTH ON THE PAGES OF ZORA DALMATINSKA

Cilj rada: Cilj je ovoga rada bio analizirati članke javno-zdravstvene tematike objavljene u časopisu Zora dalmatinska koji je izlazio u Zadru u razdoblju od 1. siječnja 1844. godine do 25. lipnja 1849. godine. Materijal i metode: Tijekom rada proučeni su originalni članci iz časopisa Zora dalmatinska pohranjeni u Sveučilišnoj knjižnici u Splitu. Rezultati: Prezentirana je klinička slika i metode liječenja zaraznih bolesti poput velikih boginja, ospica, skarlatine, dizenterije, groznice i bjesnoće. Objavljen je povijesni prikaz dviju epidemija kuge na dalmatinskom području. Naglašena je uloga čistog zraka u očuvanju zdravlja te štetnih isparavanja u nastanku bolesti, u skladu s tada prihvaćenim mijazmatskim teorijama. Iznesen je niz praktičnih savjeta za očuvanje zdravlja te je upozoreno na štetnost nadriliječništva. Istaknut je problem alkoholizma kao bolesti ovisnosti s teškim zdravstvenim i socijalnim posljedicama te je ukazano na povezanost okrutnog postupanja prema životinjama sa sklonošću nasilju i kriminalu. Proučen je skup psihičkih oboljenja koja su često praćena halucinacijama. Prezentiran je svrab kao zarazna kožna bolest s poznatim uzročnikom te su predstavljene metode njegovog liječenja. Od kirurške problematike opisano je iščašenje ramenog zgloba, opekline te hernija. Zaključci: U člancima objavljenima u Zori dalmatinskoj očitovalo se onodobno nepoznavanje mikroorganizama kao uzročnika zaraznih bolesti. Objašnjenja nastanka bolesti su bila spekulativna i utemeljena na mijazmatskim teorijama. Prikazi kliničke slike i tijeka bolesti su bili detaljni pa su ovi članci, u vrijeme kada drugi izvori zdravstvenih informacija na hrvatskom jeziku nisu bili dostupni, imali važnu obrazovnu ulogu među stanovništvom. Unatoč ograničenosti onodobnih medicinskih spoznaja, vidljivo je bilo nastojanje da postojeće informacije budu iznesene na sistematičan i objektivan način.Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse the articles pertaining to subjects of public health that were published in the paper Zora dalmatinska, issued in Zadar between 1 January 1844 and 25 June 1849. Material and Methods: During the course of this study, original articles from the paper Zora dalmatinska archived at the University Library in Split were examined. Results: The clinical presentations and methods of treatment were given for infectious diseases such as smallpox, measles, scarlet fever, dysentery, fever and rabies. Two historical accounts of the plague epidemics in the Dalmatian region were published. The role of clean air in the preservation of health, and of noxious fumes in the development of diseases was emphasized in accordance with the accepted miasmatic theory of the time. A series of practical advice for the preservation of health was given, as well as warnings against dangerous medical charlatans. Alcoholism was highlighted as an addiction with a serious medical and social impact, and attention was brought to the link between cruelty to animals and the inclination towards violence and criminal behaviour. A number of mental disorders that are often accompanied by hallucinations were examined. Scabies was presented as an infectious skin disease with a known cause, along with methods for its treatment. Among surgical problems, the dislocation of the shoulder, burns and hernias were described. Conclusion: The articles published in Zora dalmatinska showed the lack of understanding of microorganisms as the cause of infectious diseases at the time. Explanations of the origins of diseases were speculative and based on miasmatic theories. Descriptions of the clinical presentation and course of diseases were detailed, and as such served an important role in educating the population at a time when other sources of medical information in the Croatian language were not available. Despite the limitations of the medical knowledge at the time, it is clear that an attempt was made to present the existing information in a systematic and objective way