МІЖ ВІРОЮ, МИЛОСЕРДЯМ І НАУКОЮ: АПТЕКИ ТА ЛІКУВАЛЬНА ДІЯЛЬНІСТЬ ЄЗУЇТІВ НА ПРИКЛАДІ ГУМЕННЯНСЬКО-УНГВАРСЬКОГО КОЛЕГІУМУ (1613 – 1773)

In this article, the author highlights a little-studied but important aspect of Jesuit activity – their involvement in medical practice and pharmacy management, based on the example of Humenné and Uzhhorod (Ungvár) during the period from 1613 to 1773. Although the Society of Jesus is primarily associated with religious, educational, and missionary activities, Jesuits also actively participated in providing medical assistance, demonstrating humanistic principles in their practice. Medicine and pharmacology, including the maintenance of pharmacies, were not the main purpose of the order but became an important complement to their broader mission of serving the community. The Jesuit colleges in Humenné and Ungvár had their own infirmaries, pharmacies, and cultivated medicinal plants. Jesuits applied the latest knowledge about the healing properties of plants and substances, allowing them to treat patients and produce effective remedies for common, including infectious, diseases. Qualified pharmacists worked in Jesuit houses, providing care not only to members of the order but also to the local population. This activity helped build trust in the Jesuits as both spiritual and secular leaders of the community. In the 16th–18th centuries, the Jesuit leadership paid considerable attention to the training of pharmacists and the exchange of raw materials and knowledge between different missions. Although the source base on these practices is incomplete, available data show that pharmacies became an integral part of the colleges' functioning. They not only helped maintain the health of Jesuits and students but also contributed to improving the region's overall medical support. The author emphasizes the need for further research into this aspect, as it allows for a better understanding of the social role of the Society of Jesus in the early modern period. Jesuit pharmacies became an example of how faith, mercy, and science could unite in a common service for the benefit of society.