MARKO ANTON PLENČIČ, RAZPRAVA O KONTAGIJU, 1762

Marko Anton Plenčič (Plenciz), rojen leta 1705 v Solkanu pri Gorici, je bil ugleden zdravnik in profesor na dunajski medicinski fakulteti. Leta 1762 je objavil obsežno delo z naslovom Opera Medico Physica, ki vsebuje štiri razprave, in sicer o okužbi, o črnih kozah, o škrlatinki in o potresih. V prvem, bržčas najpomembnejšem delu (De Contagio), je obrazložil svojo zamisel o živih povzročiteljih kužnih bolezni pri ljudeh, pri živalih in pri rastlinah. Da bi utemeljil svoje prepričanje, posega Plenčič na različna področja tedanjega naravoslovja od humane in veterinarske medicine do kemije, od botanike in zoologije do mikrobiologije in imunologije. Pri tem navaja številne avtorje, tako antične kot sočasne, katerih dela in ugotovitve so blizu njegovih zamisli, ali pa jo vsaj posredno podpirajo. Plenčič pri svojih razlagah seveda upošteva vse stare teorije o tem predmetu, vendar z določenimi omejitvami. Prilagaja jih in nadgrajuje z elementi teorije o »contagium vivum«. Njegov namen je jasen. Prepričati je treba predvsem strokovnjake, da sprejmejo zamisel o živih kužnih klicah, da s poglobljenim študijem nadaljujejo njegovo delo, da preučijo kontagije vseh vrst in iznajdejo učinkovito zdravilo za vse kuge. Marc Anton Plenciz, Treatise on the Contagion, 1762 Marc Anton Plenčič (Plenciz) born in 1705 in Solkan near Gorizia, was a distinguished physician and professor at the Medical Faculty in Vienna. In 1762 he published an extensive study with the title Opera Medico Physica, which contains four treatises about infections, smallpox, scarlet fever, and earthquakes. In the first, most important section (De Contagio), he described his scientific idea on living agents as the cause of contagious diseases in humans, animals, and plants. To explain his beliefs Plenčič listed several examples from different fields of natural science of that time, like human and veterinary medicine, as well as chemistry, botany, and zoology, and finally also microbiology and immunology. In his book he quoted authors from antiquity and contemporary scientists, whose works and conclusions, were close to his conception about the causes of contagious diseases. To support his explanations, Plenčič considers all previous theories on this subject, but with certain limitations. He adapts and improves the existing ideas with the theory of the »contagium vivum«. His purpose was to convince the authorities, to accept his theory about living contagious agents and to continue his research, with the intention to further investigate all kinds of contagium and to invent an effective remedy.