[The Nederlandsch Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde and the practice of medical science in The Netherlands (1857-1896); light under a bushel?].

The Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde came into being first of all because of the need for a medium to help 'elevate' the medial profession. Since the scientific foundation of medicine constituted an important argument for the aspired raising of status, it is understandable that the editors particularly also wanted to make the journal a forum of medical science in the Netherlands. In this--much to their dissatisfaction--they failed to succeed in the first 40 years in spite of a number of reorganizations intended to get a better grip on the results of medical-scientific research in the country. Not until the turn of the century did a change set in: the medical faculties, where the practise of science came to achieve some significance and the Journal began to grow towards one another. At the same time it also began to be realized that research workers cannot be expected to publish their findings primarily in a journal in the Dutch language.