Prokopije Uzelac, a fighter against tuberculosis and a contemporary of Andrija Štampar

Abstract

This paper analyses the work of Prokopije Uzelac (1883–1974), one of the important yet insufficiently researched physicians of interwar Osijek and a contemporary of Andrija Štampar. Based on archival material preserved in the State Archives in Osijek, contemporaneous press articles, and relevant literature, it presents the health conditions in Osijek and its surroundings at the beginning of the 20th century, with particular emphasis on the spread of tuberculosis and the organisation of efforts to combat infectious diseases. The paper highlights challenges faced by the healthcare system, including the shortage of physicians, and points to valuable initiatives aimed at improving the health and social conditions of the population. Special attention is given to the activities of the District Workers’ Insurance Fund, which included a specialised tuberculosis outpatient clinic, as well as to the establishment of the Anti-Tuberculosis League in Osijek under the auspices of the Red Cross branch, which operated in accordance with the principles of health education and social medicine. In line with its statutes, the League’s work was based on the anti-tuberculosis movement, with the primary goal of placing the entire population of the Osijek region under organised professional supervision. Its activities included prevention, treatment, public education, and the organisation of social care, thereby practically implementing public health education in the fight against the disease. The professional path of Prokopije Uzelac is analysed within this context, from his education in Vienna, work in Slavonia, and experiences on the battlefields of World War I, to his role as a district physician and an active participant in public health initiatives. The paper demonstrates how Uzelac, through medical practice, health education, and the fight against tuberculosis, applied principles of preventive medicine closely aligned with Štampar’s concept of public health. His work extended beyond the local environment and represented a valuable contribution to the history of public health in Croatia.