[The integration of preventive medicine in health care in the Netherlands (1890-1940)].

Although preventive medicine has a long history, the actual breakthrough of this 'specialization' is more recent and can be situated at the turn of this century. Originaly, the family doctor advised his patients how to prevent diseases. His influence declined rapidly with the increase of medical specialization during 1890-1940. Prevention became one of the major issues of some private organizations and preventive medicine got a place in all medical specializations. Coordination of research in the field of preventive medicine in the Netherlands started with the establishment of the Institute for Preventive Medicine [Instituut voor Praeventieve Geneeskunde] in 1929 and the Prophylaxis Fund [Prophylaxefonds] in 1930. A student manual for preventive medicine was published in 1936-1938. Despite the efforts of the above mentioned institutes, preventive medicine has never become a separate medical specialization, with its own scientific association, journal, hospital or its own professorial chair.