PRIKAZ LIJEČNIČKE DJELATNOSTI DR. VALENTINA LUCASA – SPECIJALISTA OPSTETRIČARA-GINEKOLOGA I VENEROLOGA U RIJECI, PULI I LABINU – KRAJEM XIX. I POČETKOM XX. STOLJEĆA

Dr Valentin Lucas was born in Labin on 19 March 1873. His ancestors moved to Labin from Gora (near Labin) in the 17th century. Valentin was a common name in his family. His family was well known for having many well educated members including lawyers, doctors, and priests. The last member of their family was Giacomo who committed suicide few years after the Second World War. According to now known facts, we can say that Dr Valen Lucas was the first doctor in Rijeka who specialised in gynaecology, obstetrics and venereology, with the reputation and knowledge from working in Trieste and Vienna. In Rijeka he established his private practice that was visited by patients of different social backgrounds, which we can find in Dr Valentin Lucas’ medical records. Just before Ester in 1909, he accepted a job offer as a one year substitute for Dr Manzini, who was a police-doctor for Harbour Master’s Office in Pula. Pula by that time had already established an image of a strategic military Austrian- Hungarian port. In hope for a better life thousands of residents moved to already overpopulated Pula. As their new environment could not render their hopes, many were drawn to refuge in immorality and women in prostitution. Dr Lucas had been fighting against prostitution in Pula, especially against secret prostitution, because that was one of his main goals as a doctor. Though his task was not easy, because there were no organised sanitary and administrative services for that popular social deviation. He died in Labin on 18 February 1932. Key words: Valentin Lucas; history of medicine; obstetrics-gynaecology and venereology; 19th century; Labin; Pula; Rijeka.