[Midwifery ordinance of Joannis Baptiste Lalangue in the context of the historical development midwifery in Croatia].

Joannis Baptiste Lalangue was the author of the first published rules for performance of midwifery activities printed in Croatian language (Nagovorni lizt, Zagreb, Trattner, 1785), which is extremely important information for the study of the history of Croatian midwifery. The work contains the first printed oath of midwifery in Croatian language, and has not been known in the medical professional literature to date. Lalangue was the founder of the Croatian midwifery, who gave us the first tutorial and first printed rulebook for performing midwifery services in Croatian language. He also founded the first Croatian midwifery school in Varazdin in 1776. After successful completion of training in Varazdin, midwives were authorized to perform midwifery services, and after that initial 'licensing', in order to perform midwifery activity they had to undergo mandatory and statutory testing of knowledge and skills as a prerequisite for 'relicensing', which gave them right to perform midwifery services. This is the basis of the training and continuous education of Croatian midwives to the present, which is consistent with the achievements of modern midwifery and Lalangue's tenets. Lalangue's works were used in systematic training and education of midwives and they, along with their author, have place in the history of Croatian midwifery.