The Skrljevo disease in the Hospital in Kraljevica in Croatia (1818–1859)

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the work of the hospital at Kraljevica (2,000 beds), which treated Skrljevo disease, from its foundation in 1818 until its closure in 1859, with special reference to the causes of death and other disease statuses of the patients treated there. Sources and methods: We investigated the Kraljevica parish death records for the period 1815–1859, as well as reports of patients hospitalized at Skrljevo Hospital in 1826. These sources are preserved in the State Archives in Rijeka,Croatia. The causes of death of those who died in hospital and disease statuses were described and analyzed. Findings: Analysis of hospital reports (Ausweis) for the year 1826 shows that 261 persons (161 women and 100 men) of different ages were hospitalized there. Most of them came from Kraljevica, Delnice, Bribir and Rovinj. The most frequent disease statuses (status morbi) were: angina exulcerata, herpetic lesions and exulcerations on different parts of the body, condylomata, or the patients were simply placed under observation. The data from the Kraljevica parish death records for those who died in hospital in the period 1818–1859, show that the most common causes of death were tabes, febris, dysenteria, pneumonia, phthisis pulmonis, asthma, apoplexia etc. Morbus Skrljevo was the cause of death in six cases. A total of 778 patients died in the hospital during its existence. Conclusion: Skrljevo disease was not a lethal disease, as shown by the analysis of primary sources. Patients were mostly hospitalized in the second stage of syphilis. The hospital in Kraljevica justified its 41 years of existence as it succeeded in eradicating the endemic form of syphilisknown as Skrljevo disease.