[The Hungarian cult of the plague, or in the vernacular the cult of the saints (Sebestyén, Rozália, Rókus) who protect against the black death, glandular death, and death by pestilence (1), has been most thoroughly described by Sándor Bálint. His research was continued by Zoltán Szilárdfy, who compiled an iconography of the anti-plague images of the Virgin Mary, embedded in a broad historical and ethnographic context (2).]

Background - With improving treatment options, more attention is being paid to the neurocognitive symptoms related to hepatitis C infection (HCI). While HCI-related neurocognitive impairments are frequently subclinical, they can influence patients’ quality of life and fitness to work. Objective - The aim of this study was to assess HCI patients’ neurocognitive functions and explore the correlations between disease variables and neurocognitive symptoms. Method - The study was conducted between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2015. All patients with HCI were included in the study who were registered at the Hepatology Outpatient Clinic of Szent István and Szent László Hospitals, met inclusion criteria and volunteered to participate. Patients’ sociodemographic data and medical history were recorded in a questionnaire designed for the study. The 21-item Beck Depression Inventory was used to detect depressive symptoms. Six computerized tests were used to evaluate patients’ neuropsychological functions. Results - Sixty patients participated in the study. In comparison with general population standards, patients demonstrated poorer performance in several neurocognitive tests. Neuropsychological performance was correlated with age, sex, length of time since HCI diagnosis, Fibroscan score and the number of previous antiviral treatments. Conclusions - The study’s main finding is that compared to general population standards, patients with hepatitis C virus-related disease exhibit impaired neuropsychological functioning in visuomotor and visuospatial functions, working memory, executive functions, and reaction time. Executive functions and reaction time were the most sensitive indicators for the length and severity of disease. Deterioration in these functions has a major negative effect on work performance particularly in certain occupations.

[The definition of medical ethics seems simple: 'the right conduct of medical life' (in more modern terms: the rules of medical behaviour in professional situations). It follows József Imre's Medical Ethics, published in 1925; a problematic that pervades the principles and practice of medicine as a whole, an expanding repertoire, in the sense of 'humanistic medicine', as advocated by László Levendel (also), in which the focus is on patient-centredness rather than disease-centredness.]

[A review of the book written by: László Tringer: "The Healing Conversation"]