HISTORICAL BACKGROUND DATA ON MEDICAL RESEARCH/ ACTIVITIES OF THE INSTITUL CANTACUZINO/EXAMPLES OF COMMUNIST COLLABARATION BY PROMINENT DOCTORS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500450250-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 24, 2011
• Sequence Number: 250
• Publication Date: April 20, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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utu 1951 " '
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
U.S.' Officials Only
CONFIDENTIAL
CENTR;. INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
Historical Background Data on Medical Research/
Activities of the Institul Cantacuzino/Examples of
Cothmmint Collabora;cion by Prominent Doctors
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THIS Is UMEVALUATEn INFORMATION
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1, Medical research in Rumania before 1947 was concentrated on public health and
epidemiology. R.mtania always faced the threats of epidemics spreading westward
from the USSR and also had to deal constantly with bubonic plague, cholera and
typhus as endemic diseases.
Institul Cantacuzino
2. Most of thelresearch work devoted to solving the public health problems was done
in the field of bacteri_olo("y at the Institul Cantacuziho in Bucharest. This
Institute was founded circa 1903 and made its most significant accomplishments,
from a research point of view, under the able leadership of its director and nalae-
sake, Dr Cantacuzino, who dick in 1932 or 1933. His personal research concerned
the general) mechanisms of the diseases prevalent in Rt artla, especially cholera,,
diphtheria and scarlet fever,, but he was also an imagi:native and exacting admin-
istrator who maintained a higi, standard of applied research at the Institute.
A complete record of the researci: vrorl: carried out at 'the Institute can be found
in copies of the Archives Franco-?tntu:nines de Bacterlologie. _'his journal was
published in Parts by the firm Yacsort.
4. In addition) to the resoar ch work carried out at Innt. itiltl Cantacuzino, the inatitu-
tien also operated a plant for the comrercial production of vaccines and a great
variety of they d.'uad o all types. The incume from tLe pharmaceutical sales
was applied to the research work at the Institute. The Institute itself was
officially owned by the Runnnian Government, a].".hough It operated as an indepen-
dent entitylas far as the ud.ministration and allocation of its funds was concerned.
It also received substantial government uubsilli.es to augment its profits from
drug sales.
U.S.Officinla Only
rOVITMFNTIAL
TPAGEFORSUDJECT&AMA CC'-'
LU15IDUTI h ? iSTATE Aniv RAPT AIp i', /rl Sf
This report Is for the use within the USA of the Intelligence componenkl of the Departments or
Agenclen indlc,ijted above. It is not to b. 'rn:nsmlttcll overseer: without the concurrence of the
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In 1947, after complete Communist control had been established, the Soviets
pressed a demand order for huge quantities of diphtheria antitoxin. The order
far exceeded the normal productive capability of the plant. The antitoxin was
normally taken from a group of two or three hundred horses which the Institute
apt on hand for antitoxin production. As this number was inadequate, the
Soviets insisted on the purchase of nnre horses by the institute to fill their
order. But almost as .soon as the horses were delivered the Soviets cancelled
the entire order, stating that their demands had been supplied from another
source.
6. The entire top echelon of the Institute consisted of bacteriologists who has
studied in France, and who had spent varied amour--ts of time working at the
Pasteur Institute. Cantacuzino himself was consi ::1 one of the out.,canding
pupils of Metcbnikoff at the'iPasteur Institute and was a close friend and rank-
ing colleague of D. Roux. Ar ally the bulk of all Rumanian doctors and medical
scientists received their education in France. Thi grew out of the growing
app-i?eciation of the fact that Rumania was, after al ., a Latin country and that
France showed more promise than any of the other I ';in countries from the point
of view of the student of science.
n 1948 the director of the Institute Cautacuzino wua 50X1-HUM
Professor lone scu-Mi esti, who had taken over the administration of the Insti-
tute in 1933, after the death of Dr Cantnr_unyno. If he islalive todayI95&7he should
be about 70 years old. Under Ionescu-Idi.haesti's regime the Institute faded in
tun field of research and concentrated more on production and participation in
public health projects. This was primarily attributable to Ionescu-Mihaesti's
own inclinations and background. Although he had ,corked well under,Cantecuziao
as, his assistant, he did not possess his predecessor's scientific .imagination,
He was merely a careful and competent technician with no particular flair for
research. Although he studied at the Rockefeller Institute in the US and at a
similar institution in London, as well as at the hasteur Institute, j he I gained
almost no international repute after taking over the Institute at Bucharest.
8. The second-in-command on the Ionescu-MihaR.sti team wa:; Professor Mihat Ciuca.
who served as assi Tnstifn~tp Both of these men were eti4l
in office bath of them had given every 50X1-HUM
indication that they would du anything necessary in. atmeas ng the Communists as
long e.s^they could keep their jobs. They were quick to take the aloof air of
Nihai Ciuca is about 70 year. old as o,: today. Tie was cn to wel.L known in inter-
national medical circles, not' so much from a sci_r_t:._i":: point of view, but rather
through his work in the promotion of international public health programs while
he served for 10 years as a Rumanian delegate to the League of Nations. In this
capacity he traveled to foreign countries on numerous medical missions !for the
League.
oles;or Ciuca's scientific objec`':-ity had won him the
onor o be ng selected cs a member of a Rumanian mission into the
.I3SR.
10. The third man in the managerLtil hicr'ueh? ai; the Institute as Prof
om escu was primarily a basic researchev. Ife was itieticulOUs and thoroughly
d.:pendable. Unfortunately for his career, hf was r%;:her ou
criti-
cism of the Communist regiric
Research Contributa.onr of Individuals and Their R..1'ztions tc) the Communist Regime
Outside of the Inotitul Cai.t;.:%?::zino* the only significant medical research was
carried out by individual doctors a?,one the lines of their apecialtioos!, A. %bsas
were isolated oases they made !:up no recofnizable national trend in research.
12. One of
on the
these men was Professor Dan telopol of uuc;u:rest, who
normal and pathological. effect of drugs on the human
CoINF=,NTIAL/US OFFICTAl S ONLY
conducted research
heart and also the
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relation of the heart to the nervous system. !,anielopoi became internationally
known fo- this work. h? is still living. If so he-should bens f3
about 66 years old. i1C received the bull: of his r:..edical training in Frances
although he spent some time at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin. He worked
for a time under Canta(,,uzino and vrs=, known to be a close friend of his. During
the 1930's Danielopoliwas on the clinical staff of the University of Bucharest.
But in 1937 he was offered a position on the directoral staff of a new hospital
COIT'IDEIdTIAL/US OFFICIALS ONLY
13. At this time he became i associates with the sctivii;ir of the Liberal Party and
during World War II r.as more or less ignored by th,.: i;azi-oriented regime of
General Antenescu, although he was {noon. to hove it. In September 1944
he was named Minister of Health by the i.nteri.s-n gnvc nnient but recigned in March
.L9146 and went back to lhir position at t're hospital. Bucharest.
available for research.
15. As far as research studies were concerned, one of the most enthusiastic Rumanian
doctors was the la'?e Dr Gregory Pomr who died in 1948. He worked for some ti=
in the US at the Rockefeller Institute and later translated s US textboo? on
anatomy into the Rumanian language. His outstandir:C research contribution +rae
the discovery of a special hypophysis vessel formation.
16. Another deceased Rumanian medical researcher was Dr {fnu) Bagdasar, who died in
early 1947. His research work ;aas restricted to lir^ited experimentation in the
The new regime awarded hi.r.i e high position in the
Ministry of Health just before hi:; death.
Pr Johr, i;ic lescu, who had done some
17. Another Communist in Rumanian medicine is
research in the field of blood bacteriology and ins ; spc?ciul.ized in work on mid-
brain pathology. 1;. profe:;sor of Pathology at the
,University of Bucharest.
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One of larhon'sl outstanding pu_pills at Disi was
Dr Leo Bta.llir, a graduate pcychiatrist',an.1 professor of Neurology
at Iasi. Ballif was first ec.ucated in 11i1TM,.ania. Then he studied under Sherrington
in Lor'.Jn duringi the late t-enties with ire ?dori: being' carried out in France.
During the thirties he sttu.icQ. under Parhon.
24. Psychotherapy in Rumania was oriented away frni th:~ Freadian school and psycho-
analysisp although not outlawed a,' it was in tl:c USSR, was not often used clini-
cally. At that time heat therapy tras in use a:ui chenitherapy was being experi-
mented with, as was hypnosis to a lesser extent.
25: Dal.lif specialized in endochrinolopy, a fielu in which he is quite capable of
producing serious research of a high cali'.her.
26. Ballif's wife war as Jewess, a fact; whici aide:, Antun~.scu regime would have
made his position quite uncomfortable. uut thr'ur-h several of his good friends
he was able to remain "ignored" by, the p:,lic,- min(! L-r he officials of the
2?Linictry of Health until the end f the war. :.;'ter the' Soviets 'moved in Ballif
turned into an avowed Communist !-.u rose :itca: ? in their ranks until he reached
the position of a director o-' Voda Un ve: if:y ea! Ia