[Development of infectious diseases treatment in Szczecin following the World War Two through the prism of infectious diseases ward].

The epidemiological situation of Szczecin following the liberation was both difficult and dangerous. Numerous cases of typhus, diphteria ague, venereal diseases, typhoid and dysentery were noted and an urgent need of dealing with them was necessary. Thus an infectious diseases ward was opened in 1945 at 4 Arkońska Str. Its organiser was dr Elzbieta Buk. Despite of lack of both medical staff and equipment as well as medicines in its first month of operation the ward had 160 patients. Mostly they suffered from typhus, diphtheria, dysentery and typhoid. Mortality was high: 37 patients died. Till the end of 1945 674 patients were treated, most in September. The patients were mostly Germans, Poles, Russians, Ukranians, Belorussians and occasionally French. The most frequent was typhus though there were cases of malaria and rabies. Typhoid TB, dysentery and diphtheria were also observed. In 1946/47 more wards were opened dealing with lung, skin, venereal and children's diseases. The last one directed by Dr Krystyna Stawiarska hod its scarlet fever and diphtheria sections and simultaneously an analytical and a bacteriological labs were set up and due to Dr Stanislae Swierczyśski determination they enabled basic diagnostics. Slowly post-war epidemics were contained and both infections mortality and admissions grew smaller.