Historical Contribution of Otorhinolaryngology in Split Region till 1923

The beginnings of the modern otorhinolaryngology in Croatia started in the second half of the 19th century. Before that, there were only rare attempts of some doctors who published medical papers touching the frame of otorhinolaryngology. Mainly those were the PhD's disertations at Vienna, Budapest and Padua University. Among them there was dr Ivo Manola from Split, who in Padua in 1834 took a doctor's degree dealing with otologic diseases. Dr Nikola Fertilio (Nerezisća the island of Brac, 1861--Trieste, 1928) was the first otorhinolaryngologist out of a hospital in Split and Dalmatia. He studied medicine partly in Graz and Vienna, where he graduated in 1890. During 1903 he finished severeal otorhinolaryngological courses which were held by professors Viktor Urbantschitsch and Alfred Bing and by private doctor assistant professor Markus Hajek. During the winter 1903/04 he attended the "Semestralkurs über praktische Orhenheilkunde" at professor Adam Politzer, founder and managing director of the first Otology Clinic in Vienna and the world in 1873. He worked in Trieste, where he practiced otorhinolaryngology. Dr. Fertilio a specialist for diseases of nose, ear and throat, occasionally, usually during his holidays, came from Trieste to Dalmatia (Split, Zadar, Sibenik, Dubrovnik and Kotor) to treat and operate patients. He was comming to Split from 1904 till 1914. He published and announced his commings in the local newpapers. He used to come in summer, most often in August and stayed from several days till two weeks. He stayed and had a practice in Hotel Bellevue. As there wasn't an otorhinolaryngologist in the regional hospital of Split till 1923, otorhinolaryngological operations were occasionally performed by doctors of other surgical branches. Otorhinolaryngologist dr Aleksandar Dorsner came to Split hospital in 1923 and organized otorhinolaryngological service that he led till 1934.