BATUT, 1915.: ENLIGHTENED SONS, START THE MEANINGFUL FIGHT AGAINST THE TYPHUS!

A century has passed since the epidemic typhus in 1914/15, but the answer if the Serbian people were led to fight against the typhus has not been given yet. If so, was the fight successful? Did the doctors' reaction for not taking into consideration the activity of the State Committee for the suppression of communicable diseases was appropriate? Were there any steps which should be remembered by the citizens of Serbia, especially medical professionals? The Committee was in charge in 1915, and its decisions represent the official attitudes of Serbia, the ones that should be analyzed at first, while the after war historical-medical analyses are in the second place. As the president of the Committee, Velisav Vulovic was the coordinator of this body, and so had an influence on working of Serbian Military Medical Corps in 1915. The lack of factory autoclaves resulted in the scientific problem how to replace them. Vulovic is a forerunner of sanitary engineers in our country and improved the prototype of "a dry warm air chamber". "The disinfecting central" was built in Niš and started working before Hunter's mission. Its function was to act offensively by depediculation in suppressing epidemics of transmission diseases. It was used by army, hospitals, prisoners, and civilians. With the consent of dr Gencic, the chamber was applied in basic military units on the battling field. The successful action of Serbian medical staff in 1915 on suppressing epidemics was the beginning of the significant fight against typhus and its recurrence, and not only Serbian people but the world medicine owes them a debt of gratitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]