Dr. Victor Gomoiu, Balkan Paradigms and Lessons of a Lifetime
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Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Bra şov • Vol. 6 (51) - 2009 Series 6: Medical Sciences Supplement – Proceeding of The IV th Balkan Congress of History of Medicine DR. VICTOR GOMOIU, BALKAN PARADIGMS AND LESSONS OF A LIFETIME D. BARAN 1 Abstract: Victor Gomoiu founded the Romanian Royal Society for the History of Medicine and was member of the International Academy for the History of Science. He was elected vice-president, president and honorary president of the International Society for the History of Medicine. Enabling the expression of Balkan medical identities, he created a Center for South- Eastern European Medical Ethnographic Studies. Gomoiu tried to save Romanian Jews from atrocities perpetrated by fascist movements. Eminent surgeon, he implemented original sympathectomy techniques and participated in medical missions during the Balkan War, and World Wars I and II. He developed an outstanding social and educational work within the “Vergului Barrier” Establishments. Doctor Gomoiu was imprisoned and then rehabilitated by the communist regime. He embodied the paradigm of the idealistic intellectual who endeavored to affirm traditional Romanian medical, cultural and moral values. His lesson equally bears upon the continuous trial between intransigent resistance and lucrative compromise in history. Key words: Romanian surgery, medical ethnology, philanthropy, resistance Biographical and professional Medical Students` Society. landmarks He equally began law studies.(10) Undoubtedly, Dr. Victor Gomoiu`s Between 1903 and 1909, Dr. Gomoiu was name remains tightly connected with trained in various hospitals of Bucharest. History of Medicine in Romania, in the In 1909 he passed magna cum laude his Balkans and in the world, as a whole. He doctoral degree thesis entitled “Anaplastic was born on April 18th, 1882, in the Surgery of Face and Head” which earned village of Vânju Mare, in the Mehedin Ńi him the gold medal. He chose the position County, not far from the Danube shore and of librarian of the Bucharest Faculty of the Roman ruins of the Apollodor of Medicine Library between 1909 and 1911. Damascus` bridge at Turnu Severin (today, In 1911, Dr. Gomoiu was appointed Drobeta-Turnu Severin). physician and director of the «Sanatorium Son of an orthodox priest, he was a for the Fight against Tuberculosis in strictly moral and diligent pupil. In 1900 Children» of Tekirghiol, a Romanian he began his medical studies and in 1906 Black Seaside resort. he graduated the Faculty of Medicine in Between 1914 and 1927, he was again the Romanian capital. From 1906 to 1908, present as a surgeon in the great Bucharest he was vice-president and president of the hospitals of “Philanthropy”, “Coltzea” and 1 Centre “Advanced Research on Mechatronics”, Transilvania University of Bra şov. 138 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Bra şov • Vol. 6 (51) - 2009 • Series VI “Brâncovenesc”. From 1927 until soon Health for about three months, from July 4, after World War II (1948) , he continued to September 14, 1940. his medical activity within the “Verg He was soon dismissed by the National Barrier Medical Social Complex” which he Legionary government instituted in was the founder of. Romania on September 6 th , 1940, and Dr. Victor Gomoiu also became overthrown on January 23 rd , 1941. professor of surgical clinique at the Faculty An incident troubled his life in 1933. of Medicine of Bucharest. [6] For his After the Romanian Prime Minister I. G. professional qualities, he was the private Duca`s assassination by “The Iron Guard” physician of Queen Elena of Romania. fascist movement, several suspects were He married Dr. Viorica Tincutza put into jail including important names of Ionescu who shared with him the same Romanian political and cultural life: Nae passion for both medicines - surgery above Ionescu, Nichifor Crainic, Grigore For Ńu. all- and medical history. Dr. Gomoiu died Dr. Victor Gomoiu was among them. Once on the 6 th February 1960, at 78 years of their innocence was proved they were age. released. [4] In 1941, he stood in front of the Martial Court for having revealed the toxic effects of Prontosyl abusively given to soldiers, whereas, in December 1918, he refused to mystify the necropsy results of some victims of the dramatic typographers` strike in Bucharest. In 1942, Queen Mother Elena learned from Dr. Victor Gomoiu that a new group of Jews was to be sent to Transnistria and how miserable their condition was. Seemingly, Barbu L ăzăreanu (Lazarovici) (1881-1957), a Romanian Jewish literary historian and publicist, member of the Romanian Academy, informed his friend, Dr. Gomoiu, about this scheduled deportation and was himself finally saved due to Gomoiu`s intervention with the royal family. Later, the constant defence of the Jews against fascist persecution, enabled by her Fig. no.1. Dr. Victor Gomoiu decisive influence on her son, King Michael, earned Queen Elena the title “Righteous among Nations” conferred by Political interferences and civic Yad Vashem. [5] consciousness Dr. Victor Gomoiu developed a Since he was a good and extremely multifaceted activity based on his interest honest manager, in 1929 Dr. Gomoiu was and skills in surgery, social medical appointed Technical Counselor and in projects and history of medicine. His 1930 General Secretary at the Ministry of intransigent character made him suffer Health. Eventually he was Minister of throughout his entire lifetime. In 1945- D. BARAN : Dr. Victor Gomoiu, Balkan paradigms and lessons of a lifetime 139 1946, Gomoiu took part in debates on the Unfortunately, following the revolution foundation of a social-christian party, able of 1989, other problems, especially to oppose communism. In 1950, after economical, but also moral ones, impeded having lost almost all his goods, due to the full valorization of this great spiritual nationalization, after having witnessed the heritage. partial destruction of his archives, when 68 Thus, in 1996, the “Gomoiu” History of year old, he was imprisoned by the Medicine and Pharmacy Museum in communists and spent approximately five Craiova was itself dismantled after the years in prison. [7] building retrocession to former owners. The imprisonment was due to his closeness to the «exploiting class», to the Dr. Victor Gomoiu, the surgeon Royal Family of Romania, and his position Victor Gomoiu was professor, of Minister of Health under a previous practitioner and passionate researcher in regime. the field of surgery and topographic The real cause was his constant refusal anatomy. to «enroll» and cooperate with the In the domain of surgery, Victor communist government, give up Gomoiu greatly contributed to plastic correspondence with foreign scientists, surgery, sympathetic system surgery, deny his friends, and formally recognize traumatology and urology, imagining and the new political order. Gomoiu could not implementing new operatory techniques worship these international and national and procedures. «last-minute masters» whose portraits Cervical sympathectomy was such a already replaced, even in his office, personal procedure, often recommended in beloved figures: Stalin - Queen Elena; Ana treating angina pectoris crises. Pauker and an unknown woman - his Solarectomy was another original method. “marvelous angels”, his two deceased little His approaches were appreciated by the girls; another bearded man - his father. [7] French surgeon René Leriche (1879-1955), After the relative opening of the famous for his pain and sympathetic communist camp towards a more humane system surgery. [6] attitude, in 1964, Dr.Gomoiu was From 1903 to 1905 Dr. Gomoiu rehabilitated and his heritage officially specialised in the surgical clinique of the reconsidered. reputed professor Thoma Ionescu (1878- Monographs, communications and 1885). Professor Ionescu studied medicine studies were dedicated to him. In 1970, his and law in Paris. widow, Dr. Viorica Gomoiu participated He was awarded the Laborie prize of with a communication in the XXII-nd the Surgery Academy in Paris, and the Congress of the ISHM held in Bucharest silver medal for surgery, as laureate of the once more. In 1972, she accepted to donate Hospitals in Paris. Dr. Gomoiu`s remnant collections and He was an anatomy agrégé between other personal objects to the History of 1892-1895 in the French capital, and in Medicine Museum founded in Craiova, 1895 returned to Romania. under the auspices of the local University Thoma Ionescu pioneered anaesthetic and its Faculty of Medicine. [6)] surgical procedures and in 1919 published Soon it became a famous establishment in Paris, at Masson et Cie Editing House, a and gathered some other important momograph on «General Rachianesthesia» collections belonging to towering where cervical anaesthesia was described. personalities of Romanian medicine. [1] 140 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Bra şov • Vol. 6 (51) - 2009 • Series VI That is probably why the very young the basis a medical, social and cultural dr. Gomoiu had to share with his master establishment at the periphery of the success of his own cervical Bucharest, in the district named “Bariera sympathectomy method for angina pectoris Vergului” (“The Verg`s Barrier”). [10] pain management, a fact that seriously Vartolomei Vergu (Vergo or Virgo) had afflicted him. [6] been a medieval merchant, civic dignitary, More operatory procedures were given lord steward and diplomat at his name, e.g. Gomoiu-Eden method for Brâncoveanu`s and Cantacuzino`s Court, the myoplastic treatment of facial in 1693-1697. In the XX-th century, this paralysis, or the Gomoiu-Phocas method muddy zone was the land of the for the surgical management of inguinal- disinherited “poor and ignorant” people. scrotal hernia. [8, 10] For accomplishing his utopist dream In 1906, Dr. Gomoiu was member of with the scarce available funds, most of the editorial board of „Spitalul” („The which originated in his own financial Hospital”) journal [6, 10] Along with Drs. contribution, Dr.Gomoiu offered to assist Gr. Georgescu and V. S ăvescu, he edited patients of this hospital without any fee for the shortlived publication „Le journal de 10 years.