From the history of neurology in Slovakia

According to archive sources, neurology in Slovakia started to develop in the first half of the past century. It was determined by two important events--the constitution of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, and the foundation of the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University in Bratislava in 1919. In the new state, for the first time in their history, the Slovaks were given the access to national university education and the opportunity to develop science in Slovakia. The history of the first Department of Neurology of the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University as well as neurology in Slovakia started on September 21, 1919 and was assigned to prof. MUDr. Zdenĕk Myslivecek, a professor of psychiatry and neurology. The further heads of this department were prof. MUDr. Miroslav Krivý, prof. MUDr. Stanislav Krákora. They devoted their scientific work to the problems of neuropathology, neurohistology, etc. Their department successors, professors Karol Matulay and Jozef Cernácek were Slovak physicians. Prof. Cernácek focused his work on the problems of neuroinfection, its resulting conditions and the dominance and interaction of the hemispheres. Prof. Matulay devoted his attention to epileptology and rehabilitation in psychiatry. Owing to their merit the neurological clinics engaged experts that were starting to grow in Slovakia, who were educated at the Faculty of Medicine in Bratislava. Owing to the merit of Dr. Závodný in Nitra, Dr. Gaspar in Levoca, Dr. Matis in Trencín, Dr. Hympán in Kosice, Dr. Trávnik in Martin and others, neurology has developed in Slovakia. The development of neurology was supported substantially by the foundation of the second Faculty of Medicine in Kosice in 1948. Both faculties helped in the education of experts and in the improvement in health care in this sphere, scientific research, postgradual education, as well as in contacts with foreign experts. The treatment of neurological diseases contributed to the gradual improvement of health in the Slovak population. (Ref. 6.).