Seventieth anniversary of the University Department of Rheumatology, Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb.

摘要

As an organizational unit of our Hospital, University Department of Rheumatology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is the oldest organizational unit in Croatia. In our country, responsible for introducing physical therapy in the 1920s was Lujo Thaller, MD, an internist, who started practicing this therapy. Afterwards, on August 1, 1938, the Division of Physical Therapy and Rheumatism was established as part of the University Department of Internal Medicine. Jozo Budak, MD, was appointed head of the Division on March 19, 1940. The Division located in the former Third House (now University Department of Medicine) had 12 beds and office for electrotherapy. It was further expanded to the former Fourth House (now University Department of Ophthalmology) and was given additional 6 beds. At the same time, the outpatient clinic started working. The Division became independent and upgraded to Department of Physical Therapy and Rheumatology, which officially began working on April (or March?) 19,1941. It was the first independent department in our country for patients with rheumatic diseases.