Julije Domac - life and achievements

Predmet istraživanja ovog rada je cjelovit, sustavan i originalan prikaz života i djela Julija Domca, znanstvenika, pedagoga, dekana Filozofskog fakulteta (1901./02.), rektora Sveučilišta u Zagrebu (1911./12.), praktičnog farmaceuta i čovjeka koji je dao izniman doprinos utemeljenju i razvitku moderne farmacije u Hrvatskoj. Temeljitim istraživanjem arhivske građe u Zagrebu, Vinkovcima, Osijeku i Đakovu, kao i privatnog arhiva obitelji Domac omogućen je cjelovit uvid u genealogiju i biografiju Julija Domca. Povijesni tragovi obitelji Domac sežu u 17. st. kada su nosili prezime Domčević. Tijekom 19. st., dolazi do kraćenja prezimena u Domac o čemu potvrdu nalazimo u matičnim knjigama rođenih, vjenčanih i umrlih. Julije Domac (1853.-1928.) je rođen u Vinkovcima u ljekarničkoj obitelji. Diplomirao je farmaciju u Beču 1874., a doktorirao u Grazu godine 1880. Bio je prvi Hrvat s doktoratom iz kemije i prvi Hrvat koji je dao vrijedan prilog europskoj kemiji, objavom svojih znanstvenih radova u međunarodnim znanstvenim časopisima (1881. i 1882.). U tim radovima odredio je i potvrdio strukturu heksena i manitola dobivenog iz manne. Povratkom u domovinu (1882.) djelovao je kao profesor kemije na Velikoj realci u Zemunu, a kasnije u Zagrebu, gdje je objavio rad o kemijskoj analizi šećerne repe (1885.), prvoj takvoj analizi u Hrvatskoj. Napisao je srednjoškolske udžbenike iz organske kemije, koji su izašli u tri izdanja (1893., 1899., 1906.), te iz anorganske kemije (1901.). Tim knjigama je omogućio prihvaćanje suvremenih europskih kemijskih gledišta u Hrvatskoj i znatno utjecao na oblikovanje hrvatske znanstvene kemijske terminologije početkom 20. stoljeća. Nastavu iz farmakognozije na zagrebačkom Sveučilištu preuzeo je 1887. kao suplent, potom kao izvanredni (1896.) i redoviti profesor (1899.). Bio je utemeljitelj hrvatske sveučilišne farmakognozije i osnivač sveučilišnog Farmakognostičkog instituta (1896.), u to doba prvog samostalnog instituta takve vrste u svijetu. Napisao je farmakognozijski dio Hrvatsko-slavonskog ljekopisa (1901.), u kojem je dao izvorne makroskopske i mikroskopske opise droga. Izvorna hrvatska farmakopeja dobila je pozitivne kritike najuglednijih europskih farmaceutskih stručnjaka. Pisana je dvojezično, latinskim i hrvatskim jezikom, te imala šire značenje kao odraz težnje hrvatskog naroda za izdvajanjem iz Austro-Ugarske monarhije. Objavio je i Uputu u farmakognoziju (1899.), pisanu kao komentar hrvatskoj farmakopeji, a bila je prvo znanstveno tumačenje botaničkih, farmakognozijskih i kemijskih pojmova na hrvatskom jeziku. Naporima Julija Domca sve su ljekarne u Hrvatskoj bile preuređene prema strogim propisima hrvatske farmakopeje i djelovale su kao zdravstveni zavodi. Sudjelovao je u ljekarničkom zakonodavstvu i svojim čvrstim stavom onemogućio podržavljenje ljekarni, osigurao izradu službenih cjenika lijekova po utvrđenim pravilima i time olakšao rad ljekarnicima. U reformi farmaceutskog studija zalagao se za vizionarsku ideju stvaranja samostalnog Farmaceutskog fakulteta. U spomen Juliju Domcu utemeljena je najviša godišnja nagrada Hrvatskog farmaceutskog društva, Medalja Julije Domac, koja se od 1955. godine dodjeljuje za iznimne zasluge na području farmacije.The subject of this work is a complete, systematic and original view of life and achievements of Julije Domac. He was a scientist, educator, dean of Faculty of Philosophy (1901/02), the Rector of the University of Zagreb (1911/12), practical pharmacist and man who has given outstanding contribution to the establishment and the development of modern pharmacy in Croatia. A thorough exploration of archives in Zagreb, Vinkovci, Osijek and Đakovo, as well as private archives of Domac family enabled a complete insight into the genealogy and biography of Julije Domac. Historical records of the Domac family are going back to the 17th century when their surname was Domčević. During the 19th century, surnames Domčević was shortened into Domac which registration of births, marriages and deaths confirmed. Julije Domac (1853-1928) was born in Vinkovci in a family of pharmacists. He graduated pharmacy from the University of Vienna (1874) and received his Ph.D. from the University of Graz (1880). He was the first Croat with a doctorate in chemistry and the first Croat who gave a valuable contribution to European chemistry, publishing his research papers in international journals (1881 and 1882). In these works he determined and confirmed the structure of hexene and mannitol obtained from manna. Returning to his homeland (1882) he worked as a secondary school professor of chemistry in Zemun and later in Zagreb. He published a paper on the chemical analysis of sugar beet (1885), the first such analysis in Croatia. He wrote textbooks on organic chemistry, that was published in three editions (1893, 1899, 1906), and on inorganic chemistry (1901). These textbooks have enabled the reception of modern European chemical knowledge in Croatia and significantly influenced on the forming of Croatian chemical scientific terminology at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1887, Julije Domac taught pharmacognosy as a suplent, then as an associate professor (1896) and as a full professor (1899). He was the founder of the Croatian university pharmacognosy and founder of the Pharmacognosy Institute (1896), the first independent institute of its kind in the world. He wrote the pharmacognosy section of the Croato-Slavonian Pharmacopoeia (1901) in which he gave the original macroscopic and microscopic descriptions of drugs. The original Croatian Pharmacopoeia has received positive reviews from the most prominent European pharmaceutical experts. It was written in two languages, Latin and Croatian, and had a wider significance as it reflected the aspirations of the Croatian people for separation from the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Julije Domac wrote “Uputa u farmakognoziju” (Introduction to Pharmacognosy) in 1899, as a commentary to the pharmacognosy part of the Croatian pharmacopoeia. It was the first scientific explanation of botanical, pharmacognostical and chemical terms in the Croatian language. Thanks to the efforts of Julije Domac, all pharmacies in Croatia have been rearranged according to the strict requirements of the Croatian Pharmacopoeia and worked as medical institutes. He participated in the pharmaceutical legislation and his strong opinion prevented the nationalization of the pharmacies. He also participated to the preparation of the official price list of drugs according to established rules which facilitated the work of pharmacists. In the reform of the pharmaceutical studies he had a visionary idea of creating an independent Faculty of Pharmacy. To honor the memory of Julije Domac the Croatian Pharmaceutical Society introduced the Julije Domac Medal in 1955, as an award for exceptional achievements in pharmacy

Julije Domac - life and achievements

Predmet istraživanja ovog rada je cjelovit, sustavan i originalan prikaz života i djela Julija Domca, znanstvenika, pedagoga, dekana Filozofskog fakulteta (1901./02.), rektora Sveučilišta u Zagrebu (1911./12.), praktičnog farmaceuta i čovjeka koji je dao izniman doprinos utemeljenju i razvitku moderne farmacije u Hrvatskoj. Temeljitim istraživanjem arhivske građe u Zagrebu, Vinkovcima, Osijeku i Đakovu, kao i privatnog arhiva obitelji Domac omogućen je cjelovit uvid u genealogiju i biografiju Julija Domca. Povijesni tragovi obitelji Domac sežu u 17. st. kada su nosili prezime Domčević. Tijekom 19. st., dolazi do kraćenja prezimena u Domac o čemu potvrdu nalazimo u matičnim knjigama rođenih, vjenčanih i umrlih. Julije Domac (1853.-1928.) je rođen u Vinkovcima u ljekarničkoj obitelji. Diplomirao je farmaciju u Beču 1874., a doktorirao u Grazu godine 1880. Bio je prvi Hrvat s doktoratom iz kemije i prvi Hrvat koji je dao vrijedan prilog europskoj kemiji, objavom svojih znanstvenih radova u međunarodnim znanstvenim časopisima (1881. i 1882.). U tim radovima odredio je i potvrdio strukturu heksena i manitola dobivenog iz manne. Povratkom u domovinu (1882.) djelovao je kao profesor kemije na Velikoj realci u Zemunu, a kasnije u Zagrebu, gdje je objavio rad o kemijskoj analizi šećerne repe (1885.), prvoj takvoj analizi u Hrvatskoj. Napisao je srednjoškolske udžbenike iz organske kemije, koji su izašli u tri izdanja (1893., 1899., 1906.), te iz anorganske kemije (1901.). Tim knjigama je omogućio prihvaćanje suvremenih europskih kemijskih gledišta u Hrvatskoj i znatno utjecao na oblikovanje hrvatske znanstvene kemijske terminologije početkom 20. stoljeća. Nastavu iz farmakognozije na zagrebačkom Sveučilištu preuzeo je 1887. kao suplent, potom kao izvanredni (1896.) i redoviti profesor (1899.). Bio je utemeljitelj hrvatske sveučilišne farmakognozije i osnivač sveučilišnog Farmakognostičkog instituta (1896.), u to doba prvog samostalnog instituta takve vrste u svijetu. Napisao je farmakognozijski dio Hrvatsko-slavonskog ljekopisa (1901.), u kojem je dao izvorne makroskopske i mikroskopske opise droga. Izvorna hrvatska farmakopeja dobila je pozitivne kritike najuglednijih europskih farmaceutskih stručnjaka. Pisana je dvojezično, latinskim i hrvatskim jezikom, te imala šire značenje kao odraz težnje hrvatskog naroda za izdvajanjem iz Austro-Ugarske monarhije. Objavio je i Uputu u farmakognoziju (1899.), pisanu kao komentar hrvatskoj farmakopeji, a bila je prvo znanstveno tumačenje botaničkih, farmakognozijskih i kemijskih pojmova na hrvatskom jeziku. Naporima Julija Domca sve su ljekarne u Hrvatskoj bile preuređene prema strogim propisima hrvatske farmakopeje i djelovale su kao zdravstveni zavodi. Sudjelovao je u ljekarničkom zakonodavstvu i svojim čvrstim stavom onemogućio podržavljenje ljekarni, osigurao izradu službenih cjenika lijekova po utvrđenim pravilima i time olakšao rad ljekarnicima. U reformi farmaceutskog studija zalagao se za vizionarsku ideju stvaranja samostalnog Farmaceutskog fakulteta. U spomen Juliju Domcu utemeljena je najviša godišnja nagrada Hrvatskog farmaceutskog društva, Medalja Julije Domac, koja se od 1955. godine dodjeljuje za iznimne zasluge na području farmacije.The subject of this work is a complete, systematic and original view of life and achievements of Julije Domac. He was a scientist, educator, dean of Faculty of Philosophy (1901/02), the Rector of the University of Zagreb (1911/12), practical pharmacist and man who has given outstanding contribution to the establishment and the development of modern pharmacy in Croatia. A thorough exploration of archives in Zagreb, Vinkovci, Osijek and Đakovo, as well as private archives of Domac family enabled a complete insight into the genealogy and biography of Julije Domac. Historical records of the Domac family are going back to the 17th century when their surname was Domčević. During the 19th century, surnames Domčević was shortened into Domac which registration of births, marriages and deaths confirmed. Julije Domac (1853-1928) was born in Vinkovci in a family of pharmacists. He graduated pharmacy from the University of Vienna (1874) and received his Ph.D. from the University of Graz (1880). He was the first Croat with a doctorate in chemistry and the first Croat who gave a valuable contribution to European chemistry, publishing his research papers in international journals (1881 and 1882). In these works he determined and confirmed the structure of hexene and mannitol obtained from manna. Returning to his homeland (1882) he worked as a secondary school professor of chemistry in Zemun and later in Zagreb. He published a paper on the chemical analysis of sugar beet (1885), the first such analysis in Croatia. He wrote textbooks on organic chemistry, that was published in three editions (1893, 1899, 1906), and on inorganic chemistry (1901). These textbooks have enabled the reception of modern European chemical knowledge in Croatia and significantly influenced on the forming of Croatian chemical scientific terminology at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1887, Julije Domac taught pharmacognosy as a suplent, then as an associate professor (1896) and as a full professor (1899). He was the founder of the Croatian university pharmacognosy and founder of the Pharmacognosy Institute (1896), the first independent institute of its kind in the world. He wrote the pharmacognosy section of the Croato-Slavonian Pharmacopoeia (1901) in which he gave the original macroscopic and microscopic descriptions of drugs. The original Croatian Pharmacopoeia has received positive reviews from the most prominent European pharmaceutical experts. It was written in two languages, Latin and Croatian, and had a wider significance as it reflected the aspirations of the Croatian people for separation from the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Julije Domac wrote “Uputa u farmakognoziju” (Introduction to Pharmacognosy) in 1899, as a commentary to the pharmacognosy part of the Croatian pharmacopoeia. It was the first scientific explanation of botanical, pharmacognostical and chemical terms in the Croatian language. Thanks to the efforts of Julije Domac, all pharmacies in Croatia have been rearranged according to the strict requirements of the Croatian Pharmacopoeia and worked as medical institutes. He participated in the pharmaceutical legislation and his strong opinion prevented the nationalization of the pharmacies. He also participated to the preparation of the official price list of drugs according to established rules which facilitated the work of pharmacists. In the reform of the pharmaceutical studies he had a visionary idea of creating an independent Faculty of Pharmacy. To honor the memory of Julije Domac the Croatian Pharmaceutical Society introduced the Julije Domac Medal in 1955, as an award for exceptional achievements in pharmacy

Manuscript "Many different remedies for headache treatment" from the archives of Sinj friary

U ovome je radu prvi put opisan rukopis Mnoge različite Likarie od bolesti glave koji je nađen u arhivu Franjevačkog samostana u Sinju. Pretpostavlja se da je tekst dio veće cjeline, neke ljekaruše, a nastao je vjerojatno u XVIII. stoljeću. Rukopis sadržava 16 recepata za izradu i upotrebu lijekova za liječenje glavobolje. Služio je vjerojatno kao priručnik za izradu i upotrebu lijekova za liječenje. Materia medica ovoga rukopisa sastoji se isključivo od pripravaka biljnog podrijetla. U popisu ljekovitog bilja narodnim su nazivima koji su korišteni u rukopisnom fragmentu pripisana suvremena imena te latinska imena biljne vrste i porodice. Analiziran je jezik teksta i priređen rječnik manje poznatih pojmova i arhaizama. U raspravi je način pripreme lijekova uspoređen sa suvremenim farmaceutskim postupcima. Sastavljen je rječnik manje poznatih izraza i arhaizama. Priložen je izvorni tekst fragmenta kako bi mu se omogućio multidisciplinaran pristup.Manuscripts containing collections of folk recipes for treatment of deseases were written mostly by Catholic priests especially Franciscians in Croatia in the past centuries. They were used as manuals for preparation of remedies and gave directions for their use. These writtings provide valuble data for etnographers and historians of ethnomedicine. The paper describes the manuscript “Many different remedies for headache treatment” written by unknown author probably in 18. century in Sinj, Dalmatia. The manuscript was found in the archives of Sinj Friary. The collection contains 16 recipes for headache treatment. Materia medica of the manuscript is composed of drugs of plant origin. Valuable information is given about the folk names for medicinal plants as well as descriptions of the ways of preparing remedies. Latin as well as contemporaly croatian names are attributed to the plants species mentioned in the manuscript. Use of the plants for treatment of the specific deseases were compared with their use in modern fitotherap

Spectrophotometric Determination of Malondialdehyde in Urine Suitable for Epidemiological Studies

A reliable method for spectrophotometric determination of urinary malondialdehyde (MDA), according to the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay, is described. To account for matrix interference and differences in individual urine composition, standard addition procedure was applied. The method is adequately selective (LoQ = 0.09 μM in the presence of 0.1 M creatinine and 0.5 M urea) and reliable (within-day and between-day variability of less than 5 %). The mean level of urinary MDA was 1.52 ± 0.73 µM that is in good agreement with spectrofluorometric determination (1.20 ± 0.56 μM; p = 0.085) as well as with previous studies that used HPLC. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that MDA is stabile in urine at room temperature for 24 h and when stored at –20 °C for 6 months. The described method enables simple, rapid and cost-effective determination of urinary MDA as a relevant and non-invasive marker of “whole-body” oxidative stress. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

HUMANITIES AS A MEANS OF SURVIVAL: THE TESTIMONY OF A SIBERIAN PRISONER OF WAR IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR

U radu smo analizirali dijelove autobiografskog djela hrvatskog farmakognosta i kemičara Antuna Vrgoča (1881.-1949.) naslovljenog Moje uspomene na svjetski rat 1914.-1920 koje je izašlo u Zagrebu 1937. godine. Autor ovih zapisa bio je zarobljen u listopadu 1914. godine i deportiran u Sibir gdje je kao ratni zarobljenik ostao sve do 1920. godine. Memoarska proza vezana uz život sibirskih zarobljenika tijekom Prvog svjetskog rata je rijetka pa je ovo djelo dragocjeno svjedočanstvo odnosa spram ratnih zarobljenika, međuljudskih odnosa i vještine preživljavanja jednog časnika austrougarske vojske. U tekstu ove knjige upadljiv je izostanak civilne i vojne netrpeljivosti spram zarobljenika te poštivanje Ženevske konvencije. Usvajanjem kulture, običaja i jezika svojih formalnih neprijatelja, uključivanjem u njihov civilni život i podučavanjem na Sveučilištu, Antun Vrgoč iznosi svoje katarzično iskustvo preživljavanja s jasnom porukom ratnog apsurda.This article looks into the autobiography of the Croatian chemist and pharmacognosist Antun Vrgoč (1881-1949) entitled My Memories of the World War 1914-1920 and published in Zagreb in 1937. The author was captured in October 1914 and deported to Siberia, where he remained prisoner of war until 1920. Since there are few memoirs describing the life of Siberian prisoners during the First World War, this work is a precious testimony about the attitude towards the prisoners of war, human relations, and the survival of an Austro-Hungarian army officer. The book shows a striking lack of civilian or military hostility towards the prisoners and the respect of the Geneva Convention. Antun Vrgoč adopted the culture, customs and language of his formal enemies, took part in their civilian life, and taught at their university. His cathartic experience of survival includes a clear message about the absurdity of war

Metode dobivanja i parametri procjene kakvoće eteričnog ulja, hidrolata i macerata smilja

Smilje (Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don) je tipična mediteranska biljka iz porodice Asteraceae koja zbog svojih ljekovitih svojstava ima dugogodišnju medicinsku i farmaceutsku primjenu. Cilj ovoga rada je istaknuti važnost standardizacije postupaka kao i definiranje raspona vrijednosti unutar kojih bi se trebali nalaziti parametri koji će služiti za procjenu kvalitete i čistoće eteričnog ulja, hidrolata i macerata smilja, uzimajući u obzir sve veći komercijalni interes za te pripravke. Ispitivanje kakvoće važno je radi utvrđivanja sigurnosti, ali i učinkovitosti primjene eteričnog ulja, hidrolata i macerata smilja, što ujedno otvara mogućnost njihove šire primjene u farmaceutskoj, prehrambenoj i kozmetičkoj industriji. Određivanje relativne gustoće, indeksa refrakcije, kiselinskog broja, pH vrijednosti, mutnoće i sadržaja eteričnog ulja već se primjenjuje kao standard za utvrđivanje kvalitete oficinalnih eteričnih ulja u europskoj farmakopeji. Uvođenje standardiziranih postupaka za ispitivanje kvalitete i čistoće eteričnog ulja, hidrolata i macerata smilja pomoglo bi boljoj analitičkoj kontroli tih pripravaka na tržištu

Mendeleev’s discovery of the periodic table and the first European Academy of Sciences to honour him

The chemical science community will commemorate the 155th anniversary of Mendeleev’s groundbreaking discovery of the periodic table of elements in 2024. This paper aims to underscore the significance of Mendeleev’s honorary membership in the Academy of Sciences in Zagreb, Croatia, which occurred in 1882, making it the first scientific academy in Europe to extend this recognition. Additionally, we seek to explore the contextual circumstances that contributed to this noteworthy event within the broader European context. To provide insight into the specificities and variations in the influence and reception of the periodic table of elements within the educational process of select European countries (Russia, Germany, Czech Lands, Serbia), we conducted a comprehensive review, drawing comparisons to Croatia. Notably, upon its initial publication in 1869, the discovery of the periodic table did not gain immediate acceptance in Croatia, largely attributed to the absence of a well-established presence of chemical science within the country. About fifteen years passed from Mendeleev’s discovery of the periodic law to its reception and dissemination throughout Croatia. Despite an initial delay, Croatian chemical science followed the development of the periodic table through secondary and university education, while actively partaking it in

A contribution to the study of the history of pharmacy in Karlovac

This paper presents the development of pharmacy and pharmacies in the city of Karlovac based on available literature, internet sources, and data from contemporaneous newspapers. In doing so, among other things, it offers an interesting and uncommon insight into the image of the city itself, its inhabitants, spaces, socio-political happenings, and the culture of that time. It highlights the significance of the pharmaceutical tradition of Karlovac as an important part of the history of Croatian pharmacy. The emphasis is on the historical continuity of the four oldest pharmacies in Karlovac (K crnom orlu, K sv. Ćirilu i Metodu, K zlatnom lavu, and K Spasitelju) as well as the importance of the pharmaceutical tradition of the Franciscan monastery in Karlovac and the Franciscans’ role in the development of Karlovac’s pharmacy services as a sort of beginning of medical care in Karlovac and the Karlovac region. The oldest pharmacy in Karlovac, K crnom orlu (now Ljekarna Grgur Ninski), was founded in 1726 and has been continuously operating for nearly three hundred years. The paper also highlights the contributions of Josip Vrbanić, one of the owners of K crnom orlu, and his role in the development of Karlovac as a modern city. K sv. Ćirilu i Metodu (now Ljekarna Banija), managed by Gustav Modrušan, a pharmacist and two-term mayor of Karlovac, is also of great importance. The work also provides a brief historical overview of the remaining two oldest pharmacies, K zlatnom lavu and K Spasitelju, which no longer exist, but their owners and employees also made a significant impact on the social and cultural life of Karlovac. Also presented are the most important facts about the historical activities of individual pharmacies and their owners and partners. Light is shed on some previously unknown historical facts about these pharmacies, such as the original location of the pharmacy K Spasitelju, which was not documented in literature until now. Finally, inaccurate information found in various literary sources is corrected

Izvorna hrvatska farmakopeja iz 1901.

The second edition of the Croato-Slavonian Pharmacopoeia was published in Zagreb in 1901. As the original scientific work of two university professors, Gustav Janeček and ]ulije Domac, the Pharmacopoeia had strong scientific foundations and introduced a number of innovations. For the first time, a pharmacopoeia prescribed optical rotation for the examination of essential oils, introduced the quantitative analysis of active ingredients in galenic preparations, standardized the boiling points at the atmospheric pressure of 760 mm Hg, and was the only one to prescribe antidotes for herbal drugs and preparations which may cause poisoning. It received extremely positive reviews from the most prominent European pharmaceutical experts. It was written in two languages, Latin and Croatian, and had a wider significance, since it reflected the aspirations of the Croatian people for independence