Also known as: Mócsy’s intestinal needle, Mócsy’s needle for horses, intestinal needle for horses
The innovator: János Mócsy
János Mócsy, DVM, academician, full professor of veterinary internal medicine from 1935 to 1961, internationally renowned scientist in veterinary medicine, co-author of Spezielle Pathologie und Therapie der Haustiere, a textbook published in several languages. He was the first Hungarian researcher of animal health issues related to large-scale animal husbandry.
(Source: Hungarian Veterinary Pantheon in Hungarian)
Description: “A needle about 15 cm long with 1.5 mm diameter with a refined mandrel for removing intestinal gases from the horse’s colon through the head of the cecum.”
(Veterinary Dictionary. Edited by Csaba Gallyas, Ferenc Holló. Budapest, Mezőgazdasági Kiadó, 1984. p. 466.)
The source of the detailed description of the procedure (in Hungarian) and the picture is the following publication:
Manninger Rezső, Mócsy János: Állatorvosi belgyógyászat. 2. köt. A szervek betegségei. 4. átdolgozott és bővített kiadás. Budapest, Mezőgazdasági Kiadó, 1959. p. 112.
Year: The year of the innovation is uncertain. The procedure is recommended by Csek and Lami in January 1951* and is referred to in detail in volume 2 of Manninger and Mócsy’s internal medicine, the first edition of which was published in 1943 under the title Internal Medicine for Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Students (in Hungarian). As the next edition was published in 1951, it is likely that the description was already included in the first edition. It is possible, however, that János Mócsy had already described it in his lecture on equine colic** broadcast in the radio already in 1942.
* Csek János, Lami Gyula: Klinikai jegyzetek. 3. Kólikás lovak kezelése közben szerzett tapasztalatok. Magyar Állatorvosok Lapja, 1951. 6. 1. p. 30–31.
** Mócsy János: A lovak kólikás megbetegedéseiről. Rádiós Gazdasági Előadások, A sorozat, 1942. XV. 25.
Interesting: The Mócsy’s trocar was mentioned several times in the Mezőgazdasági Értesítő (Official Agricultural Bulletin) in the 1950s and 1960s as a required item in the instrument kit of practicing (later private) veterinarians. Price in 1957: 100 forints.
Éva Orbán
