DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY

H-1078 Budapest, István u. 2.
Building R and S
Mailing address: H-1400, P. O. Box 2
Phone: (+36 1) 478 4167
Fax: (+36 1) 478 4172

Short history of the department

Teaching of pharmacology in this school dates back to its foundation in 1787. The Latin textbook written by the school's first professor, Sándor TOLNAY provided information on drugs and drug preparations and presented 74 prescription formulas. For a long time pharmacology was taught in the framework of pathology by outstanding pathologist among others by Vilmos ZLAMÁL and Márton GALAMBOS. The latter published the first textbook of pharmacology in Hungarian in 1871. It was not until in 1896 that an independent department was established for veterinary pharmacology when Gyula MAGYARY-KOSSA, a medical doctor and pharmacologist was appointed to head of the department. He raised the courses in pharmacology and botany that was also a teaching task of the department to internationally recognized high standard and performed excellent research in the field of toxicology. The silver impregnation technique, the so-called KOSSA reaction is still in use in histology. In 1901 he wrote an excellent textbook on drug prescription. Unfortunately, the department lost its autonomy for a while, however Sándor HASSKÓ the successor of KOSSA in 1936 was not only able to maintain the level of teaching pharmacology but wrote a comprehensive and stop-gap textbook on veterinary pharmacology and toxicology. The forming of real veterinary pharmacology was linked to the name of Jenő KOVÁCS who took over the chair in 1940 and taught veterinary pharmacology to generations of veterinarians. His wonderful, didactic and easy-to-learn textbooks had served as an indispensable reference work for students and practitioners. KOVÁCS's successor in the chair of the department was Ferenc SIMON (1979) who separated veterinary pharmacology from toxicology and established the teaching of veterinary toxicology as an independent subject. Since 1991 Gábor SEMJÉN is the head of the department.

Courses

Research activities

Teaching facilities

Well-equipped lecture hall and practical room. The training is based on lectures, practical work and consultations if necessary. The lectures are illustrated with self-made Power point presentations. Practical work serves to endow student with the basic skill for handling, prescribing and administering of drug preparations. Students may participate in the research of the department.