Matthias Roth

* Košice, 1818 – † London, December 1891 / doctor, promoter of Swedish gymnastics ; ; Since Jews were only allowed to settle in Košice from 1840 onwards, it is somewhat surprising that he was born in this city and thus became the first Jewish doctor in Košice. However, Judit Bródy, a researcher living in London, discovered that his widowed mother was able to rent a restaurant in the city with a special permit. Roth became a medical student at the University of Vienna in 1835, but he obtained his doctorate at the University of Pavia. He practiced in Košice between 1840 and 1849, and in 1847 and 1849, he also ran a hydrotherapy institute in partnership with Kristóf Jeney. In 1846, as a young doctor, he also participated in the seventh traveling meeting of Hungarian Doctors and Naturalists, held in Košice and Prešov. During the Hungarian War of Independence of 1848/49, he only took part in caring for the wounded left in the city. In the summer of 1849, he went to Debrecen for medicine and bandages, but he did not return to Košice, because Kázmér Batthyány, as a person who spoke several Western languages, entrusted him with taking messages to Paris and London to László Teleki and Ferenc Pulszky. However, the letters did not reach their recipients, because Mátyás Roth – at least according to his claim – hid them with a forester, as he was afraid that the Austrians would find them with him. Thus, when he was captured, he spent only two weeks in pre-trial detention in Olmütz, from there he was transported to Vienna, and then released. From there he went to Paris, where his eldest brother, Dávid Roth, was already a recognized homeopathic doctor and initially financially supported his younger brother, who later settled in London and soon became a famous doctor himself. He treated members of the Hungarian emigration – including Kossuth and his wife – but distinguished Londoners were also happy to visit his practice. Roth maintained good relations with Hungarian doctors living in London and England (Tivadar Duka, Ágost Schöpf-Merei, etc.) and other well-known emigrants. He soon switched from homeopathy to orthopedics and, having become acquainted with Swedish gymnastics, began to use physiotherapy to treat various physical deformities. In addition to his London institute, he also had an institute in the seaside spa town of Brighton. He actively contributed to the promotion of English public health. He also advocated the introduction of physical education in girls' schools, but his three booklets on the subject were probably read by only a few people. He achieved his breakthrough around 1878, when he won over a few members of parliament to his cause. He launched the home consultation service for pregnant women. He also considered the physical education of blind children important and generally had great empathy for the blind, after his brother living in Paris became completely blind and he himself lost the sight of one eye. His study on the causes of child mortality was also published in Hungarian. Four of his nine children chose the medical profession. In December 1891, Mátyás Roth scalded himself while staying at a spa and died of his injuries four days later.