Dr Janez Bleiweis – Health Educator

Thanks to the quality of his combining knowledge in two different sciences, Dr Janez Bleiweis, the medical doctor and veterinarian, made himself valued in various spheres of life of the Carniola of the 19th century. Although most of his creative power was dedicated to po­litics, he also made valuable contributions in ve­terinary education and practice. As the secre­tary of the Agricultural Society he had opportu­nity to make himself known as a writer of popu­lar articles on various health topics published in the newspaper »Novice« (The News). Most of his articles dealt with contagious diseases, such as smallpox and cholera, as well as with the dan­ger of rabies and transmission of zoonoses to human. They were written in a clear and sim­ple language, accessible to a wide readership. The articles were intended to enlighten and educate the public, and thus combat supersti­tion. The author propagated vaccination against smallpox, promoted personal and general hygie­ne as an effective tool in the battle against cho­lera, and informed the readers about the latest achievements in the field of medicine. In addition to mounting campaigns against cholera, he al­so ran a Ljubljana hospital providing treatment to cholera patients. As the director of Ajdovšči­na Maternity Hospital, he concentrated on the problems of high mortality due to postpartum sepsis. He managed to improved the existing conditions by extending the hospital facilities. The functions of county delegate to the Parliament was another important task assigned to Dr Ja­nez Bleiweis, and he performed it to the great benefit of Carnolian medicine. Thanks to all these outstanding accomplishments, Dr Janez Bleiweis ranks as one of the most important doc­tors and health educators of his time.