160 YEARS SINCE THE FOUNDING OF THE ROMANIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
Cristian Constantin POPA1, Andrei Alexandru MARINESCU2, Aurel George MOHAN3, George POPESCU4 and Alexandru Vlad CIUREA5
1“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Department of General Surgery, Bucharest, Romania; University Emergency Hospital, 2nd Surgical Clinic,
2“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Bucharest, Romania.
3University of Oradea, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Oradea, Romania; Bihor County Emergency Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Oradea, Romania.
4“Bagdasar-Arseni” Clinical Emergency Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery,
5“Carol Davila” University School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Bucharest, Romania; “Sanador Medical Center” Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery
Corresponding author: Aurel Mohan, e-mail:
This paper is dedicated to Academician Professor Doctor Constantin Ionescu-Tîrgoviște –
President of Romanian Medical Association
Accepted September 25, 2017
Introduction. The founding of the Romanian Medical Association (RMA) took place in Bucharest (1857) through the enthusiasm and devotion of three Romanian medical personalities: Dr. Nicolae Kretzulescu, Dr. Carol Davila and Dr. Gheorghe Polizu. This association is the oldest Romanian scientific society and the third medical association to be founded in Europe. The essential element in this endeavor was Dr. Nicolae Kretzulescu (1812–1900), an encyclopedic personality in the Romanian United Principalities. Materials. Dr. Nicolae Kretzulescu was born in 1812 in an old nobleman family in Bucharest and received a distinguished education, having both Greek and French professors – two languages he spoke fluently. He traveled to Paris, where he graduated from high school (1835) and later from Paris Faculty of Medicine (1839). Afterwards he returned to the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldova where he became devoted to Wallachian medicine, thus opening at Colţea Hospital the first Surgical School in Bucharest (1842). Nicolae Kretzulescu took part in the revolution of 1848 and for this was exiled in France. Later, he returned to Wallachia and partook in the crowning of Alexandru Ioan Cuza (1820–1873) as the ruler of Wallachia. During Alexandru Ioan Cuza’s reign he was nominated prime minister for two terms (1862–1863 and 1865–1866) and later the President of the United Romanian Principalities Senate (1889–1890). Nicolae Kretzulescu contributed actively in the organization of the United Romanian Principalities healthcare system. Also, he had important contributions in the country’s economic development. During the reign of Carol I of Romania (1839–1914), Nicolae Kretzulescu is promoted in the diplomatic field as the representative of Romania in multiple international centers (Berlin, Roma, Sankt Petersburg and Paris). At the same time, his academic career was successful with his nomination for tenure member of the Romanian Academic Society and later of the Romanian Academy as well. Conclusions. The personality of Nicolae Kretzulescu was essential in the second part of the XIXth Century, having multiple contributions in the medical education field, healthcare organization and administration in the United Romanian Principalities. We also mention his involvement in agriculture, church founding and delimitation of the Romanian Orthodox Church patrimony from the Greek Orthodox Church. He also had an important contribution in the diplomatic field by representing the United Romanian Principalities in the European capitals.
Key-words: Romanian Medical Association, Nicolae Kretzulescu, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Carol I of Romania, Romanian Academy.
Articolul integral se gaseste pe pagina Academiei Romane:
http://www.acad.ro/sectii2002/proceedingsChemistry/doc2017-3/art08.pdf