Series VI: Medical Sciences – SUPPLEMENT ... - Krongres

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Bra�ov • Vol. 2 (51) - 2009
Series 6: Medical Sciences
Supplement – Proceeding of The IV th Balkan Congress of History of Medicine
DR. VICTOR GOMOIU, BALKAN PARADIGMS
AND LESSONS OF A LIFETIME
D. BARAN 1
Abstract:
Victor Gomoiu founded the Romanian Royal Society for the History of
Medicine and was member of the International Academy for the History of
Science. He was elected vice-president, president and honorary president of
the International Society for the History of Medicine. Enabling the
expression of Balkan medical identities, he created a Center for South-
Eastern European Medical Ethnographic Studies. Gomoiu tried to save
Romanian Jews from atrocities perpetrated by fascist movements. Eminent
surgeon, he implemented original sympathectomy techniques and
participated in medical missions during the Balkan War, and World Wars I
and II. He developed an outstanding social and educational work within the
“Vergului Barrier” Establishments. Doctor Gomoiu was imprisoned and
then rehabilitated by the communist regime. He embodied the paradigm of
the idealistic intellectual who endeavored to affirm traditional Romanian
medical, cultural and moral values. His lesson equally bears upon the
continuous trial between intransigent resistance and lucrative compromise in
history.
Key words: Romanian surgery, medical ethnology, philanthropy,
resistance
Biographical and professional
landmarks
Undoubtedly, Dr. Victor Gomoiu`s
name remains tightly connected with
History of Medicine in Romania, in the
Balkans and in the world, as a whole. He
was born on April 18th, 1882, in the
village of Vânju Mare, in the Mehedin�i
County, not far from the Danube shore and
the Roman ruins of the Apollodor of
Damascus` bridge at Turnu Severin (today,
Drobeta-Turnu Severin).
Son of an orthodox priest, he was a
strictly moral and diligent pupil. In 1900
he began his medical studies and in 1906
he graduated the Faculty of Medicine in
the Romanian capital. From 1906 to 1908,
he was vice-president and president of the
1 University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Grigore T. Popa”, Ia�i
Medical Students` Society.
He equally began law studies.(10)
Between 1903 and 1909, Dr. Gomoiu was
trained in various hospitals of Bucharest.
In 1909 he passed magna cum laude his
doctoral degree thesis entitled “Anaplastic
Surgery of Face and Head” which earned
him the gold medal. He chose the position
of librarian of the Bucharest Faculty of
Medicine Library between 1909 and 1911.
In 1911, Dr. Gomoiu was appointed
physician and director of the «Sanatorium
for the Fight against Tuberculosis in
Children» of Tekirghiol, a Romanian
Black Seaside resort.
Between 1914 and 1927, he was again
present as a surgeon in the great Bucharest
hospitals of “Philanthropy”, “Coltzea” and