Wojciech Oczko—Famous Polish Physician

Wojciech Oczko­Famous Polish Physician

Eugene J. Kucharz, M.D., Ph.D.(Tychy, Poland),

Marc A. Shampo, Ph.D.,and Robert A. Kyle, M.D.

Wojciech Oczko was born in 1537, probably in War­saw, Poland. He received his early education inWarsaw. In 1553, he enrolled at the JagiellonianUniversity to study philosophy, with the intention ofentering the clergy. Oczko received a degree in liberalarts in 1562, and in 1565, he left for Italy to studymedicine. He studied at Padua, Rome, and Bolognaand received the M.D. degree in 1568.

Oczko traveled to visit the Montpellier School ofMedicine in France and to Catalonia in northeastSpain. In 1569, he returned to Warsaw, where 2years later he became supervising physician of theHospital of the Poor. At the same time, he had athriving private practice and was physician to thevice-chancellor.

In 1574, Oczko married and continued to live inWarsaw, where he became a successful and famousphysician. In 1576, he was appointed court physician

to the king of Poland, Stephen Bathory (1533-1586).Oczko's stay in court was the most creative period ofhis life. In 1577, he visited the healing springs insouthern Poland; subsequently, he classified thesprings and described their therapeutic properties.This contribution, Cieplice (The Healing Springs),like most of his other activities and contributions, isunknown in European medicine, although it is one ofhis most substantial contributions to Polish medi­cine. For authorship of this book, Oczko could beconsidered the father of Polish balneology. He leftthe court in 1582 because of poor health.

Oczko pioneered medical writing in the Polishlanguage. In 1581, he wrote the first scientific workon syphilis in Polish. His literary education andtraining also helped him produce poetry and theatri­cal works.

About 1585, Oczko's wife died. In 1587, he re­turned to the court of the new king of Poland, Sigis­mund III (1566-1632); however, after 1 year, Oczko

. left, probably because of health problems. He livedin Warsaw, where he donated part of his riches forcharitable and benevolent purposes.

In 1595, Oczko remarried. Three years later, hemoved to Lublin, in eastern Poland, where he died onDec. 26, 1599. He was honored on a stamp that waspart of a set issued by Poland in 1957 to honor famousPolish physicians.

Mayo Clin Proc 66:817,1991 817