The Socialist Camp's North Korean Medical Support and Exchange (1945–1958): Between Learning from the Soviet Union and Independent Course / 의사학

This study focused on the socialist camp's North Korean medical support and its effects on North Korean medical field from liberation to 1958. Except for the Soviet assistance from liberation to the Korean War, existing studies mainly have paid attention to the ‘autonomous’ growth of the North Korean medical field. The studies on the medical support of the Eastern European countries during the Korean War have only focused on one-sided support and neglected the interactions with the North Korean medical field. Failing in utilizing the materials produced in North Korea has led to the omission of detailed circumstances of providing support. Since the review of China's support and the North Korea-China medical exchanges has been concentrated in the period after the mid-1950s, the impacts of China's medical support on North Korea during the Korean War period and the post-war recovery period have not been taken into account. In terms of these limitations, this study examined the medical activities by the Socialist camp of the Eastern European countries in North Korea after the Korean War. The medical aid teams from Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and East Germany that came to North Korea in the wake of the Korean War continued to stay in North Korea after the war to build hospitals and train medical personnel. In the hospitals operated by these countries, cooperative medical care with North Korean medical personnel and medical technology education were conducted. Moreover, medical teams from each country in North Korea held seminars and conferences and exchanged knowledge with the North Korean medical field staffs. These activities by the Socialist countries in North Korea provided the North Korean medical personnel with the opportunity to directly experience the medical technology of each country. China's support was crucial to North Korea's ‘rediscovery’ of Korean medicine in the mid-1950s. After the Korean War, North Korea began to apply the Chinese-Western medicine integration policy, which was performed in China at that time, to the North Korean health care field through China's medical support and exchanges. In other words, China's emphasis on Chinese medicine and the integration of the Chinese-Western medicine were presented as one of the directions for medical development of North Korea in the 1950s, and the experiences of China in this process convinced North Korea that Korean medicine policy was appropriate. The decision-makers of the North Korean medical policies, who returned to North Korea after studying abroad in China at that time, actively introduced the experiences from China and constantly sought to learn about them. This study identified that a variety of external stimuli had complex impacts on the North Korean medical field in the gap between ‘Soviet learning’ in the late 1940s and the ‘autonomous’ medical development since the 1960s. The North Korean medical field was formed not by the unilateral or dominant influences of a single nation but by the stimulation from many nations and the various interactions in the process.

Experiences with basic microsurgical training programs and skill assessment methods at the University of Debrecen, Hungary

Abstract During the past decades microsurgical training programs together with skill assessment methods had been developing intensively worldwide. Concerning the teaching of basic techniques at various levels, we aimed to summarize the education program types and experiences at our department, in order to define the way of continuity. All in the hope that this summary might contain useful information for other educators as well. About 50 years ago, in the late 1960s, microsurgical basic education had been established in Debrecen. Since the 1990s multilevel education programs have been developed, starting in undergraduate years up to the postgraduate training, residency and continuous medical education programs. In the last three decades about 2,300 participants completed courses, including over 470 residents. The ones who already succeeded microsurgical course as medical students, during residency program could reach better results and skill development. Concluding thoughts, the traditional methods and special experiences are highly important in microsurgical education. The necessary duration and individual training approach are emphasized. Standardization (self and international), comparability, accessibility, providing milestones of microsurgical skills are key factors. Proper feedback and skill assessment (experiences, internationally recognized scores, or combinations) are indispensable, but have to be fitted to the characteristic elements of the course.

The saga of psychoanalysis in Eastern Europe: repression and rebirth in Hungary, and in former Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia / A saga da psicoanálise no leste eutopeu: repressão e renascimento na Hungria e nas antigas Tchecoslováquia e Iugoslávia

Abstract The paper shortly presents the early roles of Budapest, Prague, and Belgrade in the development of psychoanalytic movement in Central-Europe before the Second World War. Mapping this historical heritage, it suggests how psychoanalysts of former Soviet Bloc countries could restore their own psychoanalytic communities. The study investigates the consequences of these dictatorial and authoritarian regimes for psychoanalysis and for psychoanalysts focusing on similarities and differences in Hungary, in former Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia. Furthermore, it emphasizes the contribution of the international professional organizations - the International Psychoanalytic Association, and the European Psychoanalytic Federation - for reintegration of Budapest, Prague, and Belgrade to the international psychoanalytic community.

Resumo O artigo apresenta brevemente os papéis de Budapeste, Praga e Belgrado no desenvolvimento do movimento psicoanalítico na Europa central antes da Segunda Guerra Mundial. Mapeando essa herança histórica, o artigo sugere como psicanalistas do antigo bloco soviético puderam restaurar suas próprias comunidades psicoanalíticas. O estudo investiga as consequências desses regimes ditatoriais e autoritários para a psicanálise e para os psicanalistas focalizando as semelhanças e diferenças na Hungria e nas antigas Tchecoslováquia e Iugoslávia. Além disso, destaca a contribuição das organizações profissionais internacionais - a International Psychoanalytic Association e a European Psychoanalytic Federation - na reintegração de Budapeste, Praga e Belgrado à comunidade psicoanalítica internacional.

Genetic and environmental influence on thyroid gland volume and thickness of thyroid isthmus: a twin study

Objectives Decreased thyroid volume has been related to increased prevalence of thyroid cancer. Subjects and methods One hundred and fourteen Hungarian adult twin pairs (69 monozygotic, 45 dizygotic) with or without known thyroid disorders underwent thyroid ultrasound. Thickness of the thyroid isthmus was measured at the thickest portion of the gland in the midline using electronic calipers at the time of scanning. Volume of the thyroid lobe was computed according to the following formula: thyroid height*width*depth*correction factor (0.63). Results Age-, sex-, body mass index- and smoking-adjusted heritability of the thickness of thyroid isthmus was 50% (95% confidence interval [CI], 35 to 66%). Neither left nor right thyroid volume showed additive genetic effects, but shared environments were 68% (95% CI, 48 to 80%) and 79% (95% CI, 72 to 87%), respectively. Magnitudes of monozygotic and dizygotic co-twin correlations were not substantially impacted by the correction of covariates of body mass index and smoking. Unshared environmental effects showed a moderate influence on dependent parameters (24-50%). Conclusions Our analysis support that familial factors are important for thyroid measures in a general twin population. A larger sample size is needed to show whether this is because of common environmental (e.g. intrauterine effects, regional nutrition habits, iodine supply) or genetic effects.

Body composition comparisons by age groups in Hungarian adults / Comparaciones de composición corporal en grupos etarios de adultos húngaros

The assessment of body composition provides a basis for evaluating changes in adults as they age. If the fat content is shown to be too high, intervention to reduce storage fat is warranted. The purpose of this paper is to report differences in body composition in men and women across three age groups (young, middle aged, older) to describe potential changes in both fat and muscularity. In addition, if fat storage is shown to be located in the visceral area (around the internal organs), then an addition risk to health would be evident. A total of 1564 Hungarian adults were tested for body mass index (BMI) and body composition using a multi-frequency electrical impedance device to determine percent body fat (PBF), percent muscularity (M%), and visceral fat area. Descriptive analyses were performed and Analyses of Variance were used to compare the mean values from each of the three groups. Post hoc comparisons were performed on significant findings. The results of this study indicate an increase in BMI, PBF, and visceral fat area and a decrease in M%. These differences were evident in young compared to middle-aged and older adults and between middle-aged and older adults. Levels of muscularity were significantly less as age increased. This resulted in no significant differences in BMI between middle-aged and older adults. This reduction in muscularity is alarming in that prior to expected age for sarcopenia, the middle-aged adults were showing declines in tissue that would benefit their quality of life. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings.

La evaluación de la composición corporal proporciona una base para evaluar cambios en adultos a medida que envejecen. Al determinar que el contenido de grasa es demasiado alto, se justifica la intervención para reducir esta grasa de almacenamiento. El propósito de este trabajo fue reportar las diferencias en la composición corporal en hombres y mujeres de tres grupos etarios (jóvenes, de mediana edad y adultos mayores) para describir los cambios potenciales en grasa y musculatura. Además, el almacenamiento de grasa que se encuentra en la zona visceral (alrededor de los órganos internos) constituye un riesgo importante para la salud. Un total de 1564 adultos húngaros fueron incluidos en el estudio para definir el índice de masa corporal (IMC) y la composición corporal utilizando un dispositivo de impedancia eléctrica de múltiples frecuencias para determinar el porcentaje de grasa corporal (PBF), porcentaje de la musculatura (M%) y el área de grasa visceral. Fue realizadoun análisis descriptivo y de varianza para comparar los valores medios de cada uno de los tres grupos. Comparaciones post hoc se realizaron en los hallazgos significativos. Los resultados indicaron un aumento en el IMC, PBF y área de grasa visceral, y una disminución de M%. Estas diferencias fueron evidentes en los jóvenes, a diferencia de los adultos de mediana edad y de edad avanzada, como también entre los adultos de mediana edad y adultos mayores. Los niveles de musculatura fueron significativamente menores a medida que la edad avanzaba. Esto dio lugar a diferencias significativas en el IMC entre los adultos de mediana edad y adultos mayores. Esta reducción de la musculatura es alarmante debido a que antes de la edad prevista para la sarcopenia, los adultos de mediana edad muestran disminución en el tejido que beneficiaría la calidad de vida. Se requieren estudios longitudinales para confirmar estos hallazgos.

La vitamina C y algo más: Un premio Nobel poco conocido en Chile / A biographical sketch of Albert Szent-Györgyi

Albert Szent-Györgyi was a Hungarian biochemist and physiologist. He identified the structure and function of vitamin C, naming it as ascorbic acid. His research on cellular respiration and oxidation provided the basis for Krebs’ citric acid cycle. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1937. With his collaborators, he discovered the biochemical basis of muscle contractility, isolating the basic proteins, giving them the name myosin and actin. Later on, he worked on the theory of carcinogenesis, linked to electron movements. He was one of the first researchers to describe the connection between free radicals and cancer. He lived a long, very complete life, defending always his opinion and freedom.

Batalha de Berna (1954): a luta pelos sentidos de identidade no campo de futebol / Batalla de Berna (1954): la lucha por los sentidos de identidad en el campo de fútbol / The battle of Berna (1954): the struggle for identity meanings in the football field

O artigo objetiva analisar as diferentes estratégias da imprensa brasileira para narrar a disputa entre Brasil e Hungria na Copa do Mundo da Suíça (1954). A análise dos textos publicados no O Globo e na Folha de São Paulo revela a presença de uma discussão sobre o caráter nacional, a crença na superioridade das características “naturais” do futebol brasileiro em comparação com o “espírito de organização” dos europeus e a vitória húngara como resultado de um conluio europeu. Conclui que a imprensa elabora uma inversão da hierarquia entre natureza e cultura, estereotipando identificações em um contexto de relações de poder desequilibradas.

The article aims at identifying, describing and analyzing different strategies of Brazilian press to narrate the dispute between Brazil and Hungary in the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland. The analysis of articles published in newspapers O Globo and Folha de São Paulo reveals the presence of a discussion about national character, the belief in the superiority of the “natural” characteristics of Brazilian football in comparison with Europeans’ “spirit of organization” and the Hungarian victory as a result of a European collusion. The study concludes that the press reverses the hierarchy between nature and culture, stereotyping identifications in a context of unbalanced power relations.

Objetiva identificar, describir y analizar las diferentes estrategias de la prensa brasileña para narrar la disputa entre Brasil y Hungría en la Copa del Mundo en Suiza (1954). El análisis de los textos publicados en O Globo y en Folha de São Paulo revela la presencia de una discusión sobre el carácter nacional, la creencia en la superioridad de las características “naturales” del fútbol brasileño en comparación con el “espíritu de organización” de los europeos y la victoria húngara como resultado de un acuerdo europeo. Concluye que la prensa elabora una inversión de jerarquía entre naturaleza y cultura, estereotipando identificaciones en un contexto de relaciones de poder desequilibradas.

Physical activity habits in a European sports event: a case study / Hábitos de atividade física em um evento do European Sports: um estudo de caso / Hábitos de actividad física en un evento deportivo europeo: un estudio de caso

The aim of this study is to learn more about the physical activity habits of participants in a popular sporting event such as European Sports Day, which is held simultaneously in five European countries (Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Ireland, and Hungary), and to measure the influence of socio-demographic variables on these habits. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with a sample of 856 participants, stratified by gender, age, and nationality. We statistically analyzed five variables related to physical activity habits: frequency of physical activity practice, places of practice, motives of practice, perceived fitness level, and popular event attendance. Of the participants, 76.8% said they perform physical activity weekly. Fitness/health improvement (34.63%) and entertainment/leisure (26.52%) are the main reasons for the practice of physical activity. Age and nationality are differentiating factors on physical activity habits...

"Hábitos de atividade física em um evento do European Sports: Um estudo de caso."O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar os hábitos dos participantes de um evento popular como o Dia Europeu do Desporto realizado simultaneamente em cinco países europeus (Espanha, Itália, Chipre, Irlanda e Hungria), e medir a influência das variáveis ​​sociodemográficas sobre esses hábitos. Este é um estudo transversal, composto por uma amostra de 856 participantes, estratificada por sexo, idade e nacionalidade. Foram analisados ​​estatisticamente cinco variáveis ​​relacionadas aos hábitos de atividade física: frequência de atividade física, local de práticas, motivações para a prática, nível de condicionamento físico percebido, e frequência de participação em eventos populares. Dos participantes, 76,8% disseram que se envolver em atividade física semanal. Melhorar fitness/saúde (34,63%) e entretenimento (26,52%) foram os principais motivos para a prática de atividade física. Idade e nacionalidade são um fator de diferenciação sobre os hábitos de atividade física...

"Hábitos de actividad física en un evento deportivo europeo: Un estudio de caso." El objetivo de este estudio es conocer los hábitos de actividad física de los participantes en un evento popular como el Día del Deporte Europeo, que se celebra simultáneamente en cinco países europeos (España, Italia, Chipre, Irlanda y Hungría) y medir la influencia de las variables sociodemográficas sobre esos hábitos. Este es un estudio transversal compuesto por una muestra de 856 participantes, estratificados por género, edad y nacionalidad. Se analizaron estadísticamente cinco variables relacionadas con los hábitos de actividad física: frecuencia de práctica de actividad física, lugar de práctica, motivaciones de práctica, nivel de condición física percibido y frecuencia de asistencia a eventos populares. De los participantes, el 76,8% aseguraron que realizaban actividad física semanalmente. Mejorar la condición física/salud (34,63%) y el ocio y entretenimiento (26,52%) son las principales razones para la práctica de actividad física. Edad y nacionalidad son un factor diferenciante sobre los hábitos de actividad física...

Iatrogenia institucional y muerte materna: semmelweis y la fiebre puerperal / Institutional iatrogeny and maternal death: semmelweis and puerperal fever

La fiebre puerperal es una enfermedad que asume carácter epidémico en el siglo XVIII como consecuencia de dos factores: las masas trabajadoras urbanas generadas por la revolución industrial, y la progresiva hegemonización y medicalización de la atención del parto en grandes hospitales públicos. La mortalidad materna institucionalizada alcanza cifras superiores al 30%, en tanto con la atención por parteras es menor al 2%. Semmelweis, médico húngaro, postula que los médicos contaminaban a las parturientas por insuficiente higiene luego de realizar necropsias, e implanta medidas profilácticas en el Hospital de Viena, las cuales reducen dramáticamente la mortalidad, pero sus ideas son rechazadas por que afectan el proceso de institucionalización de la medicina basado en el altruismo y honor, por los que supuestamente era imposible que causen daño a sus pacientes. Es obligado a retirarse del Hospital de Viena, y continua su lucha en Budapest, pero el rechazo y la incomprensión de sus colegas por su doctrina afecta su salud mental. Muere en un asilo, pocos años antes que Pasteur y Koch demuestren las bacterias causantes de enfermedades como la fiebre puerperal.

Puerperal fever is a disease that becomes epidemic in the eighteenth century as a result of two factors: the urban working masses generated by the industrial revolution and the progressive hegemonization and medicalization of birth care in large public hospitals. Institutionalized maternal death reached figures above 30%, while in the case of birth care provided by midwives, it was than 2%. Semmelweis, an Hungarian physician, sustained that physicians contaminated women in labor due to insufficient hygiene after performing necropsies and established prophylactic measures in the Vienna Hospital that reduced mortality dramatically. However, his ideas were rejected because they affected the institutionalization process of medicine, based on altruism and honor, which would make it impossible to cause harm to patients. He was forced to leave Vienna Hospital and he continued his struggle in Budapest, but the rejection and disagreement of his peers with his doctrine affected his mental health. He died in an asylum, a few years before Pasteur and Koch proved the existence of the bacteria that caused diseases such as puerperal fever.

Bone tuberculosis in Roman Period Pannonia (western Hungary)

The purpose of this study was to analyse a skeleton (adult female, 25-30 years) that presented evidence of tuberculous spondylitis. The skeleton, dated from the Roman Period (III-VI centuries), was excavated near the town of Győr, in western Hungary. The skeleton was examined by gross observation supplemented with mycolic acid and proteomic analyses using MALDI-TOF/TOF tandem mass spectrometry. The biomolecular analyses supported the morphological diagnosis.

Chemical composition and natural durability of juvenile and mature heartwood of Robinia pseudoacacia L.

The aim of this study was to characterize the properties of juvenile and mature heartwood of Robinia pseudoacacia L. (black locust). The content, the composition, and subcellular localization of heartwood extractives were studied in 14 old-grown trees from forest sites in Germany and Hungary, as well as in 16 younger trees of four clone types. Heartwood extractives (methanol and acetone extraction) were analysed by HPLC-chromatography. UV microspectrophotometry was used to localize the extractives in the wood cell walls. The natural durability of juvenile and mature heartwood was analysed according to the European standard EN 350-1. Growth analyses, as well as the chemical analyses, showed that in Robinia the formation of juvenile wood is restricted to the first 10-15 years of cambial growth. In the heartwood high contents of phenolic compounds and flavonoids were present, which were in high concentrations in the cell walls of the axial parenchyma and of the vessels. In the juvenile heartwood, the content of these extractives is significantly lower than in the mature heartwood. In agree, the juvenile heartwood had a lower resistance to decay by Coniophora puteana (brown rot fungus) and Coriolus versicolor (white rot fungus) compared to the mature.

O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar as propriedades da região de cerne dos lenhos juvenis e adultos de Robinia pseudoacacia L. O conteúdo, a composição, bem como a localização subcelular dos extrativos foram estudados em 14 árvores de florestas de produção na Alemanha e na Hungria, assim como em 16 árvores de quatro tipos clone. Os extrativos (metanol e acetona extração) foram analisados por cromatografia-HPLC. O microespectrofotômetro de ultra violeta foi utilizado para localizar os extrativos nas paredes celulares da madeira. A durabilidade natural do lenho juvenil e adulto foi analisada de acordo com a norma europeia EN 350-1. Análises do incremento, bem como as análises químicas mostraram que, em Robinia a formação de lenho juvenil é limitada aos primeiros 10/15 anos de crescimento cambial. No cerne, elevados teores de compostos fenólicos e flavonóides foram encontrados e localizados em concentrações elevadas nas paredes celulares do parênquima axial e dos vasos. No cerno do lenho juvenil o conteúdo destes extrativos é significativamente menor do que no cerne do lenho adulto. o cerne do lenho juvenil apresentou menor resistência à degradação por Coniophora puteana (fungo de podridão parda) e Coriolus versicolor (fungo de podridão branca) em comparação com a madeira de lenho adulto.

Semmelweis y su aporte científico a la medicina: Un lavado de manos salva vidas / Semmelweis and his outstanding contribution to Medicine: Washing hands saves lives

Ignaz Semmelweis was a Hungarian obstetrician who in the nineteenth century, preceding the discoveries of Pasteur and Lister, proposed the infectious etiology of puerperal sepsis. With a simple antiseptic procedure, he achieved marked reduction of the prevalence of this disease. However, he needed to fight against the reluctancy of his colleagues who didn't accept his observations although they were for the first time in the history of Science, supported by statistical significance analysis. This report describes biographical data of this revolutionary physician and the circumstances of his strange death based on information not often revealed.

Ignaz Semmelweis, fue un obstetra húngaro que a mediados del siglo XIX, precediendo los hallazgos de Pasteur y Lister, logró descubrir la naturaleza infecciosa de la fiebre puerperal, logrando controlar su aparición con una simple medida de antisepsia. Debió luchar con la reticencia de sus colegas que no aceptaron sus observaciones que, por primera vez en la historia, fueron apoyadas con datos estadísticos. Esta comunicación describe datos biográficos de este trascendente científico y las circunstancias que rodearon su extraña muerte, apoyada en información infrecuentemente divulgada.

A Cardiac Surgeon from the USA who had Worked in Korea a Half Century Ago: Dr. George Schimert / 대한흉부외과학회지

Dr. George Schimert, born in 1918 in Switzerland, received his medical degrees from universities in Hungary and in Germany. After immigration to the United States, he continued medical training at several hospitals. In 1956, for pursuit of cardiac surgery, he had joined the group headed by Dr. Walt Lillehei at the University of Minnesota. During this period, in 1958, he joined Seoul National University Hospital as a overall medical adviser and adviser in surgery for 15 months in partnership with the University of Minnesota Medical School. During his stay in Korea, in addition to the works in the medical administration and education, he contributed to the early establishment of thoracic surgery program. In August 6, 1959, he performed open heart surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass for an ASD patient at Seoul National University Hospital. However, the patient died 6 hours after the operation. In 1960, after returning to the United States, he began his career at Buffalo General Hospital as the first director of its cardiac surgery program. In 1985, the Dr. George Schimert Lectureship and Medical Conference was established to honor his contributions and achievements. He died December 7, 2002.

A Survey on the Mode of Working of Estheticians in OECD Member Nations andSome Asian Countries in Relation to Medical Service / 대한피부과학회지

In 2008, Korea has enacted new ordinances about the role of estheticians, but this law can be interpreted ambiguously, restricting hiring of estheticians in medical clinics. The purpose of the study is to obtain information about medical-esthetic systems in other countries. We have taken a survey of this object from 30 OECD & Asian countries, and the questionnaires returned from a total of 22 countries (Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Singapore, Israel, and Thailand), were used for the final analysis. The results are summarized as follows. In most countries, estheticians working independently deal with only healthy, normal skin. In most countries, estheticians working independently have no right to operate any medical instruments. In all 17 countries that returned the questionnaires medical clinics can employ estheticians, and only theses estheticians who belong to the medical clinics can handle the non-invasive medical instruments under the supervision of doctors. In 17 countries that have related legal regulations, nurses, under the control of doctors, can perform wider range of duties in various settings than estheticians. The survey concludes that the duties of estheticians are closely related with medical skin care services and estheticians can perform various non-invasive medical procedures only under the control of doctors. From consulting a variety of medical-esthetic systems in other countries, we propose that the estheticians be allowed to work in medical clinics to provide better medical services for the patients and to make more chances of employment for themselves.

Effects of different pretreatments on germination of Prunus serotina seed sources.

Establishing intensive plantations of fast growing hardwood tree species that have high market values in the forest industry can narrow the gap between Turkey's demand and the supply of quality hardwood products. Black cherry (P. serotina Ehrh.) is a fast growing hardwood species with a high market value. Introducing and intensively growing black cherry (BC) in Turkey may significantly reduce the country's quality wood shortage. Adequate seed germination constitutes the first essential step for successful establishments. In this paper effects of different pretreatments, including artificial and natural stratification, on the seeds of different BC seed sources (SSs) were studied. Pretreatments had substantial effects on the dormancy breaking and germination behaviours of the SSs. Consecutive periods of complex warm and cold artificial stratification regimes longer than 90 days or natural stratification (where seeds were assumed to be naturally exposed to this complexity) resulted in best dormancy breaking and, in turn, germination among all pretreatments. Deeper dormancy and reduced germination rates of some BC seeds as the altitude of the source increases might suggest an ecological adaptive strategy of the species. BC may have deeper morphophysiological dormancy than is commonly believed. Seed size may have a positive effect on seed germination.

The antiquity of tuberculosis in Hungary: the skeletal evidence

The analysis of the skeletons of past human populations provides some of the best biological data regarding the history of significant diseases such as tuberculosis. The purpose of this study is to present the pathological alterations of the bones in this disease deriving from the ancient time of the territory of the Hungarian Great Plain on the basis of the earlier references and new cases. The bone changes in tuberculosis were mainly manifested in the vertebrae and less frequently in the hip, however, further alterations were observed on the surface of the endocranium and the ribs.

Symbolic trephinations and population structure

The sample examined consists of 19 skulls with symbolic trephinations and 86 skulls without trepanations dated from the X century. Skulls were all excavated in the Great Hungarian Plain in the Carpathian Basin, which was occupied by the Hungarian conquerors at the end of the IX century. The variations of 12 cranial dimensions of the trephined skulls were investigated and compared to the skulls without trepanations after performing a discriminant analysis. The classification results evince that the variability of non-trephined skulls shows a more homogeneous and a more characteristic picture of their own group than the trephined samples, which corresponds to the notion, formed by archaeological evidence and written historical sources, of a both ethnically and socially differing population of the Hungarian conquerors. According to historical research, a part of the population was of Finno-Ugric origin, while the military leading layer of society can be brought into connection with Turkic ethnic groups. All the same, individuals dug up with rich grave furniture and supposed to belong to this upper stratum of society are primarily characterized by the custom of symbolic trephination, and, as our results demonstrate, craniologically they seem to be more heterogeneous.