title: [The attempts of Bishop Ivan Sintić (1792-1837) to treat snake and other animal bites: from intuition to scientific dispute].
abstract: This manuscript describes an attempt to treat snake and other animal bites using an ointment  made of a plant Aster atticus (sternkraut, of the family Aster). The recipe for this ointment  had passed from an Istrian Bernardo Alessandri to bishop Ivan Anton Sintić at the end of  the 18th century. At the request by the Austrian administration of the Province of Zadar,  Sintić published a booklet on how to prepare the plant and use it, and the administration  distributed the booklet to local practitioners. Encouraged by the new therapy, physician  Srećko Randić of Bakar, took it for the subject of his doctoral dissertation, an published it in  Vienna in 1840. However, the efficiency of this therapy was disputed by the new island of  Krk physician Ivan Krstitelj Kubić after years of follow up and investigation.
authors.affiliation: Catholic School of Theology, University of Zagreb, Croatia. franjo.velcic@ri.t-com.hr
authors.forename: Franjo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Velcic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001317:Austria; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000266:history*; D017523:Croatia; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000266:history*; D012909:Snake Bites / Q000266:history*