Monika Urbanik

Gustaw Jäger (1823–1917) i jego sposób na zdrowie
2017-01-05

Gustav Jager (1823–1917) and his ways with health

The turn of the 18th and 19th centuries proved of much consequence for medicine. The rapid development of scientific research methods, especially in the field of anatomy and pathology, effectively undermined the hitherto applied therapeutic methods and approaches. Lack of medications of therapeutically proven effectiveness, in conjunction with the absence of clearly defined principles of treatment management proved a catalyst in creating numerous, brand-new medical doctrines and theories that were meant to serve as a viable alternative to the long established ways of academic medicine. Overall popularity of those innovative solutions in the field of medicine in the 19th century was substantial, and so this effectively gave rise to many theories, ways of treatment, or therapeutic systems, sometimes referred to as “therapeutic fads”. They were a natural consequence of a perceptible trend that seemed to prevail at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, whereby seeking out and proposing brand-new, non-clinical therapeutic solutions was taken up by many. A specific therapeutic management, as introduced by Gustav Jäger in mid 19th century, that relied heavily on wearing woollen clothing, combined with regular application of atropine-based medications invented by himself, would thus make up an extremely interesting therapeutic proposal indeed.

Keywords: history of pharmacy, history of medicine.

© Farm Pol, 2016, 72(8): 533–538