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Zvonimir Maretić was the pioneer of the study of venomous animals and plants, toxicology, and tourism medicine. His achievements have been recognized, but insufficiently researched. His work covers a broad range of biomedical sciences: from public health, ecology, and environmental protection, to epidemiology and infectology. Maretić was one of the founding members of the International Society on Toxinology and the Toxicon journal’s first Editorial Board. He was the first in Europe to prepare the antilatrodectic serum and to successfully apply the weever and scorpionfish antiserum on humans. This brief note tries to commemorate the achievements of Maretić, up to now poorly recognized and insufficiently researched., Zvonimir Maretić pionir je proučavanja otrovnih životinja i biljaka, njihove toksikologije te turističke medicine. Njegovo djelo i rad principijelno je cijenjeno, ali slabo istraženo. Djelovao je u širokom području medicine i biomedicinskih znanosti: od javnog zdravstva, ekologije i očuvanja okoliša do zaštite ljudskog zdravlja u obliku epidemiologije i infektologije. Jedan je od članova i osnivača Internacionalnog društva za toksinologiju i član prvoga uredničkog odbora časopisa Toxicon. Prvi je u Europi priredio anilatrodektički serum i na ljudima primijenio serum protiv otrova morskog pauka. Ovaj rad nastoji komemorirati njegova dosad zanemarena i nedovoljno istražena postignuća.

Zvonimir Maretic was the pioneer of the study of venomous animals and plants, toxicology, and tourism medicine. His achievements have been recognized, but insufficiently researched. His work covers a broad range of biomedical sciences: from public health, ecology, and environmental protection, to epidemiology and infectology. Maretic was one of the founding members of the International Society on Toxinology and the Toxicon journal's first Editorial Board. He was the first in Europe to prepare the antilatrodectic serum and to successfully apply the weever and scorpionfish antiserum on humans. This brief note tries to commemorate the achievements of Maretic, up to now poorly recognized and insufficiently researched.

Zvonimir Maretić pionir je proučavanja otrovnih životinja i biljaka, njihove toksikologije te turističke medicine u Hrvata, ali i šire. Njegovo djelo i rad principijelno je cijenjeno, no slabo istraženo ili zaboravljeno. Djelovao je u širokom području medicine i biomedicinskih znanosti, od epidemiologije i infektologije do ekologije, očuvanja okoliša i javnog zdravstva. Jedan je od članova i osnivača Internacionalnoga društva za toksikologiju i član prvoga uredničkoga odbora časopisa Toxicon. Prvi je u Europi priredio anilatrodektički serum te uspješno primijenio serum protiv otrova morskog pauka na ljudima. Iako rodom Zagrepčanin, velik dio života proveo je u Puli i Istri. Na Medicinskome fakultetu tadašnjeg Sveučilišta Vladimir Bakarić u Rijeci predavao je infektologiju i koordinirao pulsku nastavnu bazu Fakulteta. U ovome radu donosimo pregled postignuća Zvonimira Maretića obogaćen sjećanjima i arhivom obitelji.

Ovaj rad predstavlja lik i djelo internista i infektologa Zvonimira Maretića u svim područjima njegova predanog rada. Od klasičnog gimnazijalca preko medicinskog fakulteta do liječnika specijalista širokih svjetonazora i ideologija, uspeo se na najviše grane i sam vrh hrvatske i svjetske medicine čime je zaslužio najveće epitete medicinske i zdravstvene struke, istražujući izvan okvira svih mogućnosti te pretvaravši hobije u seriozan posao s tendencijom liječenja i brige za zdravlje čovjeka i njegove okoline, otkrivanje novih lijekova i općeniti napredak. Putovao je mnogo. Više poslom nego privatno, prenosio je svoje bogato iskustvo i znanje u mnogim dijelovima svijeta. U hrvatskom školstvu zapaženu ulogu ima kao profesor medicinskog fakulteta u Zagrebu i Rijeci. U mnogočemu je volio biti prvi. Otkrivati i stvarati. Proučavati, evidentirati i dokumentirati. Jednostavno svojom stručnošću i znanstvenim radom pisati povijest. Premda načelno cijenjeno, djelo Zvonimira Maretića, pionira infektologije i turističke medicine u Hrvatskoj, nedovoljno je proučeno i poznato. Ovaj rad, temeljeći se na analizi objavljene oskudne literature, ali prvenstveno na dosad neiskorištenoj obiteljskoj arhivi i razgovorima s članovima obitelji, nastoji ispraviti neopravdanu zanemarenost znanstvenika koji je prvi u Europi pripremio serum protiv ugriza crne udovice te time, kao i pripravom seruma protiv uboda morskog pauka i drugim svojim radovima, stekao svjetski ugled i priznanja. Ponekad se čini kako se ljudi doslovno zatvaraju unutar okvira svojih mogućnosti, znanja pa tako i struke, no Zvonimir Maretić bio je avanturist željan penjanja iznad svih granica znanosti., This paper presents the person and the work of Zvonimir Maretić, Doctor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, in all the areas of his dedicated work. From classical grammar school through medical school, to a medical specialist of a broad worldview and ideology, he climbed to the highest branches and the top of both, Croatian and international medicine, which has earned him the highest epithets of both the medical and the health professions, exploring beyond the scope of possibilities and turning his hobbies into serious work with the tendency of treatment and concern for the health of man and his environment, the discovery of new drugs and progress in general. He has travelled extensively. More due to his work than privately, conveyed his vast experience and knowledge in many parts of the world. In the Croatian educational system he holds a prominent role as a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine in Zagreb and Rijeka. In many ways he has liked to be the first. To discover and to create. To explore, record and to document. Putting it in simple terms, he has liked to write history with his expertise and scientific work. Although generally appreciated, the work of Zvonimir Maretića, the pioneer of infectious diseases and tourist medicine in Croatia, has been insufficiently studied and known. This paper, based on the analysis of the scarcely published literature, and primarily on the previously unused family archives and interviews with family members, seeks to correct an unjustifiable neglect of the scientist who was the first in Europe to prepare a serum against the bite of the black widow and with it, as well as preparing a serum against weever fish bites and his other works, he gained international reputation and recognition. Sometimes it seems that people are literally closing themselves within the framework of their capabilities, knowledge and their profession, but Zvonimir Maretić was an adventurer eager to climb beyond all the limits of science.

Ovaj rad predstavlja lik i djelo internista i infektologa Zvonimira Maretića u svim područjima njegova predanog rada. Od klasičnog gimnazijalca preko medicinskog fakulteta do liječnika specijalista širokih svjetonazora i ideologija, uspeo se na najviše grane i sam vrh hrvatske i svjetske medicine čime je zaslužio najveće epitete medicinske i zdravstvene struke, istražujući izvan okvira svih mogućnosti te pretvaravši hobije u seriozan posao s tendencijom liječenja i brige za zdravlje čovjeka i njegove okoline, otkrivanje novih lijekova i općeniti napredak. Putovao je mnogo. Više poslom nego privatno, prenosio je svoje bogato iskustvo i znanje u mnogim dijelovima svijeta. U hrvatskom školstvu zapaženu ulogu ima kao profesor medicinskog fakulteta u Zagrebu i Rijeci. U mnogočemu je volio biti prvi. Otkrivati i stvarati. Proučavati, evidentirati i dokumentirati. Jednostavno svojom stručnošću i znanstvenim radom pisati povijest. Premda načelno cijenjeno, djelo Zvonimira Maretića, pionira infektologije i turističke medicine u Hrvatskoj, nedovoljno je proučeno i poznato. Ovaj rad, temeljeći se na analizi objavljene oskudne literature, ali prvenstveno na dosad neiskorištenoj obiteljskoj arhivi i razgovorima s članovima obitelji, nastoji ispraviti neopravdanu zanemarenost znanstvenika koji je prvi u Europi pripremio serum protiv ugriza crne udovice te time, kao i pripravom seruma protiv uboda morskog pauka i drugim svojim radovima, stekao svjetski ugled i priznanja. Ponekad se čini kako se ljudi doslovno zatvaraju unutar okvira svojih mogućnosti, znanja pa tako i struke, no Zvonimir Maretić bio je avanturist željan penjanja iznad svih granica znanosti. This paper presents the person and the work of Zvonimir Maretić, Doctor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, in all the areas of his dedicated work. From classical grammar school through medical school, to a medical specialist of a broad worldview and ideology, he climbed to the highest branches and the top of both, Croatian and international medicine, which has earned him the highest epithets of both the medical and the health professions, exploring beyond the scope of possibilities and turning his hobbies into serious work with the tendency of treatment and concern for the health of man and his environment, the discovery of new drugs and progress in general. He has travelled extensively. More due to his work than privately, conveyed his vast experience and knowledge in many parts of the world. In the Croatian educational system he holds a prominent role as a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine in Zagreb and Rijeka. In many ways he has liked to be the first. To discover and to create. To explore, record and to document. Putting it in simple terms, he has liked to write history with his expertise and scientific work. Although generally appreciated, the work of Zvonimir Maretića, the pioneer of infectious diseases and tourist medicine in Croatia, has been insufficiently studied and known. This paper, based on the analysis of the scarcely published literature, and primarily on the previously unused family archives and interviews with family members, seeks to correct an unjustifiable neglect of the scientist who was the first in Europe to prepare a serum against the bite of the black widow and with it, as well as preparing a serum against weever fish bites and his other works, he gained international reputation and recognition. Sometimes it seems that people are literally closing themselves within the framework of their capabilities, knowledge and their profession, but Zvonimir Maretić was an adventurer eager to climb beyond all the limits of science.