Search

Despite the numerous works evaluating Fritz Jahr's importance for bioethics, there is still a widespread practice at best to put his name in some of the footnotes. The similar practice is recognized in Italy and the full appreciation of his work – contrary to the reception of Van Rensselaer Potter's work – is still to come. First part of this paper is concerned with the mentioned uncommendable practice as a main motive of the article. Second part shortly captures the main facts about life and work of Fritz Jahr. Third part is dedicated to summary of extensive work of Van Rensselaer Potter. Next part reveals the trends and practices in Italy concerning the reception of those two «fathers of bioethics» and delineate the lines of research based on their work. In conclusion the authors call for caution and attentive approach to history of bioethics because mixing those research lines could be at least deceptive if not completely unfruitful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between two World Wars the city of Rijeka was a port and industrial town whose infrastructure failed to provide adequate living conditions for numerous workers and their families. Insufficient organization of the health care system, poor living conditions-especially among the poor, low hygienic standards combined with a large number of transitory citizens made city and its citizens vulnerable to tuberculosis. Between 1924-1945 Rijeka was a part of the Kingdom of Italy. Therefore, the fight against tuberculosis was organised according to Italian public health plan and laws. In 1925, Antituberculosis consortium was founded in order to organise and coordinate antituberculosis activities in the city region. Despite its ambitious administrative measures it was unsuccessful in the field: Rijeka had a high mortality and morbidity rate due to tuberculosis. This article is based on unpublished archival material.

Tuberculosis was a major public health concern in the beginning of the 20th century. Since medications were not available at the time, therapy in general was based on health education, healing effects of climate, nutrition and rest. The Marine Colony was founded in 1924 in Rijeka, a city with turbulent political history, by the Antitubercular Consortium which was part of a planned program for the fight against tuberculosis on a national level in the whole of Italy. The Colony in Rijeka, Croatia specialised in care of children with clinical tuberculosis or under greater risk of developing disease. This article gives an overview of the medical treatment provided for children in Colony, as well as pointing out the political-agenda at that period.