The aim of our presentation is to reveal the history of the Faculty of Medicine in Cluj in the interwar period.
The Faculty was created in 1919, as part of the Romanian University in Cluj. The first dean and the most important organizer of the Faculty was Iuliu Hatieganu. The most prestigious professors were: Victor Babes, Constantin Levaditi, Iuliu Hatieganu, Iuliu Moldovan, Iacob Iacobovici, Victor Papilian, Nicolae Minovici, Stefan Gh. Nicolau, Titu Vasiliu, Ion Minea, Constantin Ureche, Gheorghe Bilascu, Cristea Grigoriu, Coriolan Tataru, Titu Gane, Dumitru Michail, Dimitrie Negru etc. Franco-Romanian co-operation produced a great benefit for the Faculty. Jules Guiart created in Cluj the first Romanian Institute for the History of Medicine. Pierre Thomas organized the Institute of Biochemistry of the Faculty of Medicine. René Jeannel – the adjunct of Professor Emil Racovita at the direction of Institute of Speology in Cluj – led the courses of Biology for the students in medicine until 1930. The Cluj Faculty of Medicine had in the interwar period some cores of important lecturers and assistances who became in time very valuable professors. For examples at the Medical Clinic, Iuliu Hatieganu and his disciples: Ioan Goia, Leon Daniello, Ion Gavrila, Octavian Fodor, Ioan Macavei and Tiberiu Sparchez created the Cluj Medical School of Internal Medicine. The professors from the second interwar decade were at their turn significant medical personalities. Of great value were: Ioan Aleman, Grigore Benetato, Valeriu Lucian Bologa, Gheorghe Buzoianu, Alexandru Pop, Gheorghe Popoviciu, Stefan Secareanu, Marius Sturza and Emil Teposu. The same value had the following associate professors: Leon Daniello, Ion Gavrila, Rubin Popa and Constantin C. Velluda.
Their activities were very complex, including many scientific and didactic realizations, of incontestable value. For example, for the first time in Romania were published: the treatise of Semiology and Pathology edited by Hatieganu and Goia; the treatise of Anatomy wrote by Papilian; the treatise of Drugs analysis elaborated by Pamfil and Manta. These books were many times reedited and became landmarks for all medical faculties in Romania.
After 1930, under the negative economic circumstances and under the terror of a new war, for all faculties in Romania was a very difficult period. Even in this circumstances, at the Faculty of Medicine in Cluj took place some important improvements. In 1930 the Course of medical semiology was transformed in a special department – the first one in Romania. The director was I. Goia. In 1931 was created the Institute of Balneology and Physiotherapy directed by M. Sturza. In 1933 the Section of Urology was separated from Clinic of Surgery and became the Clinic of Urinary Disease directed by E. Teposu. At that time, this was the first clinic of urology in Romania.
Another important activity of the staff of the University in Cluj was in the field of sport. In 1930 I. Hatieganu created in Cluj the Medical Society for Physical Education and Sport, the first one in Romania. In the same year Hatieganu created in Cluj the Medical Dispensatory for sportsmen, as part of the University. This initiative was a premiere in the Romanian Medicine. Also in Cluj, and for the first time in Romania was organized the first Course of Medicine Applied to the Physical Education and Sports. It was significant that this course took place in the Academic Park for Sports, created and built by Hatieganu in 1930.
In 1920 in Cluj was created the Pharmaceutical Institute for teaching students in pharmacy. It was part of the Faculty of Medicine. In 1920 Gheorghe P. Pamfil was elected director of the Pharmaceutical Institute and in the mean time he became director of the Pharmacy of Clinics. The higher pharmaceutical education in Cluj was marked by the activity of great professors such as: Gheorghe P. Pamfil, Gheorghe Martinescu, Iuliu Orient, Alexandru Secareanu and the young lecturers Ion Manta and Teodor Goina. In 1934 the Ministry of Instruction elaborated a special law to attempt the concentration of all pharmaceutical instruction – from Cluj and Jassy – in the Bucharest Faculty of Pharmacy. Consequently, starting with the academic year 1934/35 the most representative professors of pharmacy were transferred to Bucharest.
Knowing that a high school is important not only by its didactical, clinical and scientific activities, but also for cultural activity, many professors of the Faculty of the Medicine in Cluj had cultural and artistic preoccupations. The most important and active personality in this field was V. Papilian. Also J. Guiart, I. Iacobovici, I. Hatieganu, T. Vasiliu, D. Negru, V. L. Bologa, Gh. Buzoianu, I. Manta etc. had significant contributions in this field.
