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Dermatology-Venerology in Croatia: Historical Survey

The oldest historical sources offer reliable evidence of the presence of dermatologic-venerologic casuistic in medical practice in various regions of Croatia. From the medieval times until the end of the 19th century, it was the subject of interest of qualified physicians and surgeons, as well as of numerous empiricists, herbalists, climatotherapists and healers. Treatment contracts, notes, instructions for therapy and medical papers, and from the 18th century on inaugural dissertations of Croatian physicians on dermal and sexual diseases have been preserved. The interest of health authorities in the problem of endemic diseases, Škrljevo disease and Mljet disease, substantiated by due concern expressed by the leading European experts, led to the foundation of specialised hospitals (Kraljevica in 1816) and department ( Rijeka in 1858) for patients with Škrljevo disease, and of specialised hospitals for accommodation and treatment of syphilitic patients in the second half of the 19th century. At that time, the interest of the public health policy concerning these two diseases resulted in the foundation of the first specialist departments of dermatological and venereal diseases at general hospitals. The process was initiated toward the end of the 19th century at the then departments of external diseases, following the organisation of the first independent departments of dermatology and venerology in the hospitals in Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka, Split, Bjelovar, Šibenik, Pula, Karlovac, Slavonski Brod and Dubrovnik. First generations of specialists in dermatology and venerology were educated and trained in the leading European centres, especially in Vienna and Prague. With time, private specialist clinics emerged. Intensive development of dermatology and venerology, not only as a specialist profession, but also as an independent scientific and teaching discipline in Croatia began with the foundation of the Zagreb University School of Medicine in 1917, first professor appointment in 1921, and foundation of the Chair in 1923 and of clinical department in 1926/1927. The first professional society of dermatologists and venerologists in Croatia was founded in 1920s; it was the Section for Dermatology and Venerology of the Croatian Medical Association, to be followed by the Croatian Society for Dermatology and Venerology of the Croatian Medical Association, founded in 1992.

Croatia; dermatology; venerology; history

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