The beginnings of a health care population in Lika and Karlobag are related to the services provided by folk medicine practitioners, as evidenced by the preserved collection of old prescriptions and instructions on the treatment of patients by Karlobag physicians from 1603 and 1707. The institutionalization of health care in the area began in the 18th century when a health care service was established in Karlobag, namely the Health Office for the Control of Ship Navigation, People and Goods, to prevent the beginnings of infections and to suppress epidemics such as the plague, syphilis and other infectious diseases. In Lika, a sanitary corridor, which is known in medical and general history for being one of the most efficient as well as one of the most expensive preventative health care systems against infectious diseases, was established. This paper presents an overview of the historical development of health institutions in the subject area with special reference to the preserved archival material that was created by their activities until the beginning of the Homeland War.

Začeci svojevrsne zdravstvene zaštite stanovništva u Lici i Karlobagu vezani su za djelatnost praktičara narodne medicine, o čemu dijelom svjedoče sačuvane Karlobaške ljekaruše iz 1603. i 1707. godine. Institucionalizacija zdravstva na tom području započinje u 18. stoljeću kada je u Karlobagu formirana zdravstvena služ- ba, odnosno Zdravstveni ured za kontrolu kretanja brodova, ljudi i robe s ciljem sprječavanja unosa zaraze i suzbijanja epidemija kuge, sifilisa i drugih zaraznih bolesti, a u Lici tzv. sanitarni kordon, koji je u medicinskoj i općoj povijesti poznat kao jedan od najučinkovitijih, ali i najskupljih sustava preventivne zdravstvene zaštite od zaraznih bolesti. U radu se donosi pregled povijesnog razvoja zdravstvenih institucija na predmetnom području s posebnim osvrtom na sačuvano arhivsko gradivo nastalo njihovim djelovanjem do početka Domovinskog rata.