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The First Dental Photographs in Croatian Professional Periodicals
Stella Fatović-Ferenčić1, Vjekoslav Jerolimov1
1Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Department of History of Medical Sciences, Institute for History and Philosophy of Science, Zagreb, Croatia.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to analyze Žiga Hercog's article "Protheze iza resekcije čeljusti" (Prostheses after Jaw Resection), published in Liječnički vjesnik in 1904, as an early example of Croatian surgical prosthetics and the first known visual representation of a dental topic in Croatian professional medical periodicals.
Materials And Methods:
The study is based on a historical-medical, textual, and visual analysis of Hercog's article, with comparisons to Croatian dental historiography, the development of Croatian medical terminology, and the international development of dental photography and prosthetic materials.
Results:
The analysis shows that Hercog's work extends beyond an individual case report. It reflects a transition from the descriptive presentation of a clinical case to visually supported rehabilitative medicine. Hercog's text documents the critical adoption of European professional models, the local adaptation of methods, the use of tin as the prosthetic material of choice, and the challenges of early Croatian dental terminology. The accompanying photographs of the prosthesis and the patient served evidentiary and documentary functions and were identified as the first dental photographs published in Croatian professional medical literature.
Conclusion:
Hercog's 1904 article may be interpreted as an early Croatian contribution to the development of surgical prosthetics, dental photography, and medical visual culture. The study indicates the need for further research into Croatian dental history through the analysis of textual, terminological, and photographic sources.
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