THE NUN WITHOUT HEART - A TB CASE FROM THE 18
THCENTURY, VÁC, HUNGARY
Kristóf Lilla Alida
1, I. Szikossy
2, Á. Kustár
2, I. Horányi
3, K. Karlinger
4, B.
Kovács
4, E. Riedl
5, M. Spigelman
6, H. D. Donoghue
7, O. Dutour
8, H. Coqueugniot
9, I. Pap
2, Gy. Pálfi
11Hungarian Natural History Museum, Department of Anthropology, Budapest, Hungary, 2University of Szeged, Department of Biological Anthropology, Szeged, Hungary, 3Semmelweis Museum, Budapest, Hungary, 4Semmelweis University, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Oncotherapy, Budapest, Hungary, 5State Health Center, Department of Radiology and Diagnostic, Budapest, Hungary, 6Department of Anatomy and Anthropology Sackler Medical School Tel Aviv University Israel; Royal Free & University College Medical School, Centre for Clinical Microbiology, Royal Free Hospital, Rowland Hill Street, London, UK, 7Centre for Clinical Microbiology and Centre for the History of Medicine, University College London, UK, 8Laboratoire de Paléoanthropologie EPHE (Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes), UMR 5199 PACEA, Université Bordeaux 1, Talence, France and Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Canada, 9Université Bordeaux 1, Talence, France; Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany
Introduction: A large series of well documented, naturally mummified individuals came to light during reconstruction work at the Dominican Church in Vác, Hungary, in 1994-1995. The anthropological material of the crypt is stored in the Department of Anthropology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest. The coffins, untouched for nearly 200 years, contained the remains of 265 individuals.
Objectives: Our study is part of a complex multidisciplinary research study of the 18-19th century Vác mummies.
Materials & methods: The late Terézia Sándor, a nun with the Poor Clares from Pozsony (Pressburg), died in September 1783 at the age of 40. Researchers discovered a round, sharp-edged incision in the heart region of her body. CT examination clearly showed that her heart had been removed.
Results: Our aim was to answer the question, "Why was the heart removed?" To determine this, radiological examinations were done. The investigation confirmed that the heart was missing. DNA analysis of the sample taken from the body showed the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Besides pulmonary TB, serious vertebral damage (TB spondylitis) was found on the dorsal part of the mummy’s spine.
Conclusion: Following the closure of the convent in Pozsony (Pressburg) in 1872, it is possible that Terézia Sándor was returning to her home town, when tuberculosis (and the probable Pott’s disease) forced her to stay in Vác. She died there in 1783 and was buried in the Dominican crypt, but her heart was apparently taken to her hometown for separate burial.
The support of OTKA 61155, OTKA K 73441,
