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We present 50 years of scientific activity Depertment of Toxicology Jagiellonian University Medical Collage in Krakow on national and international arena. Scientific achievements are presented divided into thematic groups. The subject group covers a broad spectrum of research taking into account the epidemiology of poisoning, occupational and population exposure to chemical substances, specific toxicological problems like; diagnosis of poisoning, predicting the severity of poisoning, the implementation of appropriate treatment depending on the phase of intoxication and its severity, effectiveness evaluation diagnostic and treatment procedures, prevention and prophylaxis of poisoning.

Psychological examination done in the Toxicological Department covers almost all patients treated after suicidal attempts. Elder people constitute a small percentage of this population. Our observation shows, that this percentage is growing in recent years. This analysis covers 188 patients over 60 years of age. Involvement of a psychologist was not only diagnostic but also therapeutic. Important part of the treatment included a session with patient's family and effort targeted to help patients for whom coming back to their previous environment could present life threatening danger.

The pattern of poisonings in patients hospitalised in the Department of Clinical Toxicology Jagiellonian University Medical College in 1997-2001 was presented in the study. The analysis includes 17,931 patients: 6,016 (33.5%) women and 11,915 (66.4%) men. The rate of patients between 20-39 years old was highest in all the analysed year, however downward trend was noticed. The upward tendency was noted in older group of poisoned patients. A suicidal poisonings were mostly common in 1998 and 1999 in the youngest and oldest groups: 37.1%, 37% in 1998, and 25.5%, 22.2% in 1999 respectively. The medication drugs were the most common cause of acute poisoning only in the group of adolescent patients. Ethyl alcohol was the common cause of poisoning in adult groups. The highest rate of ethanol intoxication was noted in patients between 40 to 59 years old. A 89 lethal intoxication were noted in analysed period. The average mortality rate was low (0.5). A medication drugs (30.4%) followed by ethanol (17.4%), carbon monoxide (13%) and solvents (13%) were involved in lethal poisonings in the oldest group of patients.