Volumen 68, Broj 3 VOJNOSANITETSKI PREGLED Strana 281 H I S T O R Y O F M E D I C I N E UDC: 355.088:61-051]:581-051(091) Medical Corps Colonel Doctor Sava Petković “Flora of the town of Niš Region” – inheritance for the future Sanitetski pukovnik dr Sava Petković „Flora Niša i njegove okoline“ – ostavština za budućnost Rade R. Babić*, Gordana Stanković-Babić†, Miško Živić‡ Clinical Centre Niš, *Radiological Centre, †Clinic for Eye Diseases, ‡Clinic for Otorhynolaryngology, Niš, Serbia Ključne reči: Key words: physicians; therapeutics; military personnel; lekari; lečenje; vojni kolektiv; botanika; farmakopeje. pharmacopoeias. Introduction Physicus in the town of Kruševac. After eight months of work in the town of Kruševac, he got a job in the military Medical Colonel Dr Sava Petrovic (Figure 1) was born medical service in Belgrade, where he advanced to the rank on 14 January 1839 in the town of Šabac. His father Jovan of medical corps colonel, then to the position of the main was a craftsman and his mother Marija a housewife 1–3. By Serbian military doctor, ultimately becoming the personal profession he was a doctor, Medical Colonel of the Serbian physician of Prince Milan Obrenović in 1873. Army and a botanist. He became elected member of the Ser- bian Learned Society in 1869 and a corresponding member of the Serbian Royal Academy in 1889. Medical Colonel Dr. Sava Petrović lost his father early in his life and his mother made him learn the tailor’s trade. Dissatisfied with the prospect of his future profession, he left this school and started elementary school in the town of Šabac, then attended lower secondary school in Šabac, a higher secondary school in Belgrade, and the Lyceum in Belgrade (Natural Science Department). During his schooling in Belgrade Dr. Sava Petrović met Dr Josif Pančić, who directed him towards the study of flora 1, 2. Upon completion of his studies at the Lyceum in Belgrade, Sava Petrović was awarded a state scholarship and went to Paris (France) to study medicine and surgery. Upon arrival in Paris Sava got ill and was forced to abandon his medical studies and return to Serbia for treatment. Due to the disease Sava Petrović lost the state scholarship, and when he recov- ered he was forced to work privately in order to provide funds for the completion of the previously enrolled medical Fig. 1 – Medical Colonel Dr. Sava Petrović (born on January school in Paris. 14, 1839 in Šabac, died on January 22, 1889 in Belgrade) is a Dr. Sava Petrović graduated at the Medical School in world known botanist. He was a member of the Serbian Learned Society (1869) and a corresponding member of the Paris on 22 November 1866. His PhD thesis De la mastomanie Serbian Royal Academy (1889). He contributed to the study and 3, 4 was written in French and had 11 chapters on 44 pages . understanding of the geographical position of the town of Niš, Having acquired the academic title, Dr Sava Petrović its surroundings and the whole of southeastern Serbia in terms returned to Serbia, where he became employed as District of the floral abundance of that area Correspondence to: Rade R. Babić, Clinical Centre Niš, Radiological Centre, Bulevar Zorana Djindjića br. 48, 18 000 Niš, Serbia. Phone.: +381 18 591 098. E-mail: [email protected] Strana 282 VOJNOSANITETSKI PREGLED Volumen 68, Broj 3 During the Serbian-Turkish Wars (1876–1878), Dr. medical statistics for the year 1879" published in 1882 he Sava Petrović was appointed state commissioner for provid- said: "No one can allow for one’s life to be risked just to find ing private help to the wounded and refugees, he supervised out whether or not one is pretending... it is better for a doctor donations coming from the world and coordinated work of to be fooled than for one’s illness to get worse or cause foreign volunteering medical missions in the Principality of death... If the doctor notices that the nostalgia is the cause of Serbia. Dr. Sava Petrović was promoted to colonel, the high- the pretence, such a soldier should be sent home for a while est rank in the medical corps service at the time. to avoid any bad consequences of his condition" 1. Accompanying Prince Milan Obrenović on a trip to Dr. Sava Petrović was a founding member and signatory Serbia and the territories of Serbia newly liberated from the of the decision to establish the Serbian Medical Association, Turks Dr. Sava Petrović had an opportunity to meet people Srpsko lekarsko društvo (SLD), in Belgrade in 1872. At that in Serbia, to learn about their customs and about the flora time the SLD was the first public organization in Serbia, the and fauna of Serbia. oldest medical society in the Balkans and one of the oldest At Prince Milan Obrenović’s insistence Dr. Sava Pet- medical associations in the world. The idea to found SLD was rović began studying the flora of the town of Niš and its sur- introduced in Serbian newspapers in 1859, four years after roundings. founding the English Royal Medical Society (1855) 5, 6. Dr. Sava Petrović got married to Draga in 1868. They had a son, who unfortunately died very young. The great loss they suf- Dr. Sava Petrović as a florist fered was a personal tragedy that left a mark in their life and work. Medical Colonel Dr. Sava Petrović died on 22 January Dr. Sava Petrović was far more famous as a botanist, than 1889 in Belgrade. He left his property in his will to patriotic and as a doctor. His work on the study of plants began with his first charitable purposes. Thus, for example, his herbarium and his employment in the town of Kruševac. Namely, Dr Sava Petrović rich personal botanical library he gave to the Niš High School formed a small botanical garden in the town of Kruševac in (today First Niš High School „Stevan Sremac“). Unfortunately which he cultivated plants growing in Kruševac and its sur- this priceless gift never arrived at this high school. Parts of his roundings. When he moved to Belgrade, Dr Sava Petrović influ- herbarium are known to be kept in the Institute of Botany and enced Prince Milan Obrenović to assist in the formation of the Botanical Garden – Jevremovac (Belgrade, Serbia), Natural first botanical garden in Serbia. So, in 1874 the botanical garden History Museum in Belgrade (Serbia) and the Natural Sciences was founded in Belgrade, the first in Serbia. Its first manager University in Zagreb (Croatia). His other assets (houses, land, was Dr. Josif Pančić, until his retirement in 1887 1–4. money, securities, etc.) Dr. Sava Petrovic intended for establish- Following the example of Belgrade Dr. Sava Petrović ing a fund to finance young scientists studying the flora of Serbia. tried to establish botanical gardens in other Serbian town – Niš, Kragujevac, Kruševac, etc... In liberated Niš (11 January Professional and research work 1878) Dr. Sava Petrović formed a botanical garden, located in the area of the park across the street from the Niš Fortress, Medical Colonel Dr. Sava Petrović wrote nine profes- on the banks of the river Nišava (unfortunately, this botanical sional and scientific research works 1–4: garden does not exist any more). 1. De la mastomanie - PhD thesis written in French In 1882, during his tenure in the town of Niš, he (Paris, 1866); wrote his book "Flora of the town of Niš Region" (Flora 2. Conversion and concealment of disease among sol- Agri Nyssani) of 950 pages (Figure 2). The book was diers (London, 1875); 3. Protection from tuberculosis (London, 1880); 4. Military-medical statistics for the year 1879 (London, 1882); 5. Flora of Niš Region (Flora Agri Nyssani) (London, 1882); 6. Medicinal plants in Serbia (Belgrade, 1883); 7. Supplement to Flora of Niš Region (Additamenta ad Flora Agri Nyssani) (London, 1885); 8. Ramondia in Serbia and family Cirtandracia (Bel- grade: Journal of the Serbian Learned Society 1885; LXII: 101–123); 9. Stachys Мilanii Petrović, In: Magnier C, ed. Florae Scrinia Selectae, 6, 117 (Saint-Quientin, 1887). According to Randjelović 1 medical works of Dr. Sava Petrović belong to the older works of Serbian medicine, par- ticularly in the field of military medicine. In addition to his regular duties Dr. Sava Petrović was Fig. 2 – Cover of the book „Flora of the town of Niš in charge of social, hygienic and dietary regime of soldiers Region“ (Flora Agri Nyssani) by Dr. Sava Petrović, printed and officers of the Serbian Аrmy, and in his work "Military in Belgrade in 1882 Babić RR, et al. Vojnosanit Pregl 2011; 68(3): 281–285. Volumen 68, Broj 3 VOJNOSANITETSKI PREGLED Strana 283 written according to the model of the book "Flora of the In the monograph "Ramondia in Serbia and family Principality of Serbia" by Josif Pančić from 1874. In the book Cirtandraceae" written on 23 pages (1885, Beograd), Dr. he wrote: "Sir, during your stay in Niš in 1879 you expressed Sava Petrović gave a detailed description of all types of the wish to study the flora of Niš. That wish of Your Majesty I Ramonda growing in the Mediterranean. Thus, for example, have taken as a commandment, and I immediately began to Ramonda Nathaliae (endemic species) found by Dr. Sava collect and study the plants around Niš". Petrović in Jelašnica Gorge he initially called Ramonda nys- The book offers an analysis of classes which provide sana, but after consulting Dr. Josif Pančić he renamed it to the key to the comparison of genera and key to the com- Ramonda Nathaliae (Figure 3) in honour of Princess Natalia parison of species within genera that are of various types.