José María Bermúdez López: símbolo de la medicina interna en Cienfuegos / José María Bermúdez López: An internal medicine symbol in Cienfuegos

RESUMEN La vida de José María Bermúdez López, destacado médico cienfueguero, está llena de pasajes extraordinarios que le confieren el reconocimiento de la comunidad científica internacional. Su mérito trasciende más allá de la profesión, pues no estuvo al margen de las luchas estudiantiles contra Batista durante su etapa universitaria, y mantuvo el compromiso con la Revolución brindando servicios sanitarios en zonas rurales. Sin embargo, existe una escasa divulgación de su trayectoria, incluso en la provincia de Cienfuegos; es por ello que el objetivo de este trabajo es describir los acontecimientos significativos de la vida y obra de este doctor, símbolo de la Medicina Interna. Se realizó una investigación de tipo descriptiva, que utiliza la historia de vida para lograr su propósito. Fueron empleados los métodos teóricos: analítico-sintético, deductivo-inductivo e histórico-lógico; para la recolección de datos se utilizaron la iconografía, la revisión documental y el testimonio directo de la voz del profesor como fuente primaria de obtención de la información. Las bibliografías consultadas fueron escasas, por lo que fue necesario recurrir a las entrevistas orales a profundidad. Se concluye que el doctor José María, durante su trabajo ininterrumpido, ha contribuido de forma exhaustiva al desarrollo de esta especialidad en el territorio mediante un compromiso con las ciencias médicas y con los enfermos. Conocido como "El Profe", con 88 años de edad, aún camina por los pasillos del hospital que fundó, admirado por todos.

ABSTRACT The life of José María Bermúdez López, a prominent Cienfuegos doctor, is full of extraordinary stories that confer him the recognition of the international scientific community. His merit transcends beyond his profession, since he was not on the sidelines of the struggles against Batista during his university years, and he maintained his commitment to the Revolution by providing health services in rural areas. However, there is little disclosure of his career, even in the province of Cienfuegos; That is why the objective of this work is to describe the significant events in the life and work of this doctor, a symbol of Internal Medicine. A descriptive research was carried out, which uses life history to achieve its purpose. Theoretical methods were used: analytical-synthetic, deductive-inductive and historical-logical; For data collection, iconography, documentary review and direct testimony of the teacher's voice were used as the primary source for obtaining information. The bibliographies consulted were scarce, so it was necessary to resort to in-depth oral interviews. It is concluded that Dr. José María, during his continuous work, has contributed exhaustively to the development of this specialty in the territory through a commitment to medical sciences and patients. Known as "El Profe", at 88 years old, he still walks the corridors of the hospital he founded, admired by all.

Vigencia del pensamiento de Florence Nightingale en su bicentenario / Validity of Florence Nightingale's thought on its bicentennial

RESUMEN En el año del bicentenario del natalicio de Florence Nightingale, aún reviste gran interés la amplia visión de su pensamiento. Como una mujer fuera de su tiempo, fue más allá de los referentes propios y del cuidado individualizado; logró conceptualizar la práctica de la enfermería desde las diferentes áreas de actuación: asistencial, docente, investigativa, y administrativa; así como la inserción de los profesionales en equipos multidisciplinarios, para contribuir a la solución de problemas de la salud pública. El trabajo busca una aproximación a esta figura convertida en ícono de la profesión que desempeñó y, por demás, revolucionó. Para ello se han tomado como fundamento publicaciones de hace varios años y algunas muy recientes, estas últimas, emanadas, como este artículo, de la necesidad de recordación a doscientos años de su nacimiento.

ABSTRACT In the year of the bicentennial of Florence Nightingale's birth, the broad vision of her thought is still of great interest. As a woman outside of her time, she went beyond her own references and individualized care; managed to conceptualize nursing practice from the different areas of action: healthcare, teaching, research, and administrative; as well as the insertion of professionals in multidisciplinary teams, to contribute to the solution of public health problems. The work seeks an approximation to this figure who has become an icon of the profession he carried out and, moreover, revolutionized. For this, publications from several years ago and some very recent ones have been taken as a foundation, the latter, emanating, like this article, from the need to remember two hundred years after his birth.

Ludwig van Beethoven, el genio de Bonn atormentado por sus enfermedades: su historia médica / A medical biography of Ludwig van Beethoven

Much emphasis has been given to the deafness of Ludwig van Beethoven and its potential causes. However, when analyzing several symptoms reported by himself throughout his life in many letters and his final illness, a common etiology emerges. This article reports the medical history of this artist, based on authoritative scientific sources.

Modernidad y arte dental en Cienfuegos. Serafina C. Daumy Martínez, mujer moderna y odontóloga / Modernity and Dental Art in Cienfuegos. Serafina C. Daumy Martínez, modern woman and odontologist

La Modernidad se percibió en Cuba en las grandes y medianas ciudades hacia finales de la década del 70 del siglo XIX, extendiéndose hasta 1930 aproximadamente; trajo consigo cambios económicos y sociales. Movilidad urbana, tráfico de noticias, desarrollo tecnológico, todo era sinónimo de Modernidad. Cienfuegos por estos años tenía su economía totalmente consolidada, en lo que influyó el poderoso desenvolvimiento económico del mundo moderno. La Odontología cienfueguera no se quedó al margen de lo que estaba sucediendo y cobró esplendor con la llegada de especialistas de reconocido prestigio. El trabajo ofrece un panorama histórico de esta profesión en Cienfuegos, destacando el desarrollo del arte dental en el contexto de la Modernidad. Se exponen los servicios y aportes de los profesionales de esta rama en esa etapa, con énfasis en la personalidad de Serafina C. Daumy Martínez, odontóloga cubana considerada la primera mujer graduada de Cirugía Dental en Cuba.

Modernity was perceived in Cuba in large and medium-sized cities by the end of the 1970s, extending to about 1930; it brought economic and social changes. Urban mobility, news traffic, technological development, was all synonym of Modernity. By these years Cienfuegos had a totally consolidated economy influenced by powerful economic development of the Modern World. The Cienfuegos Dentistry was not alien to this process and gained splendor with the arrival of specialists of recognized prestige. This paper offers a historical panorama of this profession in Cienfuegos, highlighting the dental art development in the context of Modernity. Services and contributions by the professionals of this branch in this period are presented. With emphasis on the personality of Serafina C. Daumy Martínez, Cuban odontologist considered to be the first woman graduated in Dental Surgery in Cuba.

El verdadero rostro de Eugenio Espejo / The true face of Eugenio Espejo

Se realizó una investigación histórica, con enfoque cualitativo, cuya población de estudio estuvo constituida por los documentos de interés salvaguardados en el Archivo de Indias, así como aquellos de las fuentes periodísticas de época que versaron alrededor de la figura de Eugenio Espejo. El estudio tuvo el propósito de establecer la fidelidad histórica de la iconografía de ese precursor de la nacionalidad ecuatoriana.

A historical research was carried out with a qualitative approach. The study population was cons-tituted by the documents of interest filed in Archivo de Indias, as well as those of the sources from press that revolved around the figure of Eugenio Espejo. The purpose of the study was to establish the historical fidelity of the iconography of that forerunner of Ecuadorian nationality.Keywords: history; famous persons; Anthropology, physical.

Manuel Antonio Modesto Leal Catalá: un médico cienfueguero al servicio del amor y del progreso / Antonio Modesto Leal Catalá: a Doctor from Cienfuegos who Worked for Love and Progress

Manuel Antonio Modesto Leal Catalá (1874-1932) fue un médico cienfueguero descendiente de canario, que nació, vivió y fue partícipe del periodo de Modernidad y progreso en Cienfuegos. Este trabajo de corte histórico, centra la atención en esbozar su labor profesional. Como descendiente de canario, perteneció a las sociedades regionales de los canarios de la localidad y se desempeñó como médico de varias instituciones obreras cienfuegueras. Fue reconocido y considerado como uno de los clínicos de mayor reputación y notable contribución a los servicios de salud durante la República. Ejemplarmente laborioso y solícito en la atención a sus pacientes, se le conoció como el médico de los humildes.

Manuel Antonio Modesto Leal Catalá (1874-1932) was a doctor of Canarian origin, who was born, lived, and took part in the period of modernity and progress in Cienfuegos. This historical paper focuses on his work. As a descendant of Canary Islanders, he belonged to the regional associations of Canarians and served as a doctor in several institutions in the city. He was recognized and considered as one of the most reputable clinicians during the Republic with an outstanding contribution to the health services of that time. Manuel, who was exemplarily laborious and solicitous in the care of his patients, was known as the doctor of the poor.

Pequeño homenaje al maestro Raimundo Llanio Navarro / A Small Tribute to Professor Raimundo Llanio Navarro

A partir de la experiencia personal del autor de este homenaje, con el profesor Raimundo Llanio Navarro, primero como alumno y luego por una amistad ininterrumpida durante unas cinco décadas, se hace una serie de consideraciones de la dimensión de verdadero maestro de quien fuera un magnífico ser humano, cuya obra es tan cercana a todos los profesionales de las ciencias médicas, incluyendo a los cienfuegueros. Se insta a otros a divulgar los valores que han promovido los maestros de la profesión, tan conveniente en estos tiempos.

From the personal experience of the author of this tribute with Professor Raimundo Llanio Navarro first as a student and then thanks to a continuous friendship over five decades, a series of considerations are made on the legacy of this true educator who was a magnificent human being whose work is known by all medical professionals, including those from Cienfuegos. Others are encouraged to disseminate the values promoted by outstanding medical teachers, so useful these days.

El Profesor Doctor Hernán Alessandri Rodríguez (1900-1980) / Professor Hernán Alessandri, M.D. (1900-1980)

Hernán Alessandri M.D. was an astounding clinician and a leading medical educator, born in Santiago in 1900 where he died in 1980. He received his medical degree at the University of Chile in 1923, became Professor of Clinical Medicine in 1932, Full Professor and Chair of Internal Medicine in 1944. At the Hospital del Salvador, in Santiago, he chaired a teaching Department and a Clinical Service that was an example for its academic environment and dedication to patients and students. From 1958 to 1962 he was Dean of the University of Chile Faculty of Medicine, conducting a reform of teaching curricula and organizing medical residency programs for the training of specialists, originally started in his own Service in 1952. The American College of Physicians awarded him the first foreign Honorary Membership. He was a founding Member of the Chilean Academy of Medicine (1964). In 1973 the University of Chile awarded him the Emeritus Professor status. He was considered by his peers, alumni and patients a brilliant clinician and an exceptional medical educator. Since 1980 a Social and Teaching Foundation bears his name and in 2014, with the occasion of the XXXV Chilean Congress of Internal Medicine, the Sociedad Médica de Santiago-Chilean Society of Internal Medicine created an annual lecture to render tribute to distinguished physicians and his name was one of the two selected to inaugurate them.

El Profesor Doctor Hernán Alessandri: su legado para las nuevas generaciones de / Professor Hernán Alessandri, M.D.: his legacy for the new generations of physicians

Professor Alessandri died in 1980. We started our residency in Internal Medicine about 30 years later. Considering the profound changes our society has witnessed, including medical practice, I would like to approach the meaning of his work for our generation. It is not the Father’s figure nor his Aura what inspires us today. Neither is his personality nor his shape. His universality comes from his transcendent image as a teacher. Today’s teachers live rough times, their social status has changed, their professional requirements have grown exponentially, they have to adapt to social phenomena like the Internet and multiculturalism. Being a teacher nowadays demands to be a multifaceted expert. Things have changed since Professor Alessandri made rounds with his patients. But a deeper look allows us to understand that everything returns to where it started: professional deontology of the teacher, never fading but transcendent. We know that Doctor Alessandri had the natural gift to keep faithful to that code with consistency and perseverance. He excelled with integrity in every aspect including professional betterment, constructive work for his institution, collegiality, a warm relationship with students and a model of social values. Beyond virtues and personal defects he will keep on being the mould in which present teachers should be formed, engraved in their souls and in the subconscious of students that seek to learn.

Odontólogos republicanos en Latinoamérica: Luís Amado Blanco Fernández y sus aportes a la estomatología cubana / Republican Dentists in Latin America: Luis Amado Blanco Fernández and his Contributions to Cuban Dentistry

La Guerra Civil Española provocó un éxodo masivo de hombres y mujeres de ciencias y letras, que salieron al destierro despojados de sus cátedras universitarias. Al llegar a tierras americanas se integraron al entramado sociocultural y científico y aquí dejaron sus huellas imperecederas. Mucho se ha escrito sobre el exilio literario, sin embargo, el exilio científico, en especial la rama de la Odontología, no ha merecido igual atención. Han aparecido algunos libros, monografías y trabajos, en los que se le ha dedicado espacio a este tema, y también se han celebrado algunos congresos, donde el exilio científico en Cuba en particular no aparece, o no ha estado lo suficientemente representado; de ahí la necesidad de realizar un estudio donde se ofrezca un panorama de la presencia de los odontólogos exiliados en Latinoamérica, particularizando en Cuba, y en especial, en la personalidad de Luís Amado Blanco Fernández, el que ha sido estudiado desde el punto de vista literario(como poeta, narrador, dramaturgo, crítico literario y teatral) no así desde su quehacer como odontólogo y sus aportes a la estomatología cubana, como tampoco se ha estudiado en profundidad su quehacer como diplomático.

The Spanish Civil War caused a mass exodus of men and women of science and letters, who went into exile stripped of their university chairs. At their arrival to the Americas, they joined the sociocultural and scientific institutions, leaving their enduring marks here. Much has been written about the literary exile; however, the scientific exile, particularly in the branch of Dentistry, has not received equal attention. Some books, monographs and papers have addressed this subject, in addition to some conferences, where scientific exile in Cuba has not been included or sufficiently represented. Hence, there is a need for a study that offers an overview of the presence of dentists exiled in Latin America, focusing on Cuba and particularly, on Luís Amado Blanco Fernández, a personality who has been studied from a literary point of view (as a poet, novelist, playwright, literary and theater critic), but not for his work as a dentist and his contributions to Cuban dentistry, nor has been studied his work as a diplomat in depth.

Consideraciones sobre la evolución histórica de la cirugía laparoscópica: colecistectomia / Considerations on the historical evolution of the laparoscopic surgery: cholecystectomy

El desarrollo de la tecnología ha ejercido una extraordinaria influencia sobre el campo de la medicina, y una muestra fehaciente de ello lo constituye la cirugía video laparoscópica. Sin duda alguna, el procedimiento laparoscópico más utilizado en el mundo lo constituye la colecistectomía. Para que esta tuviera lugar, se sucedieron una serie de descubrimientos y hechos previos que sirvieron de cimiento para que aquella debutara en el escenario científico a finales del pasado siglo. Este artículo tiene como objetivo dar a conocer cómo surgieron y se desarrollaron los procedimientos laparoscópicos en general, y de la colecistectomía en particular; teniendo en cuenta su gran utilización y los beneficios que para el paciente poseen estas técnicas. La revisión del tema permite conocer el surgimiento, desarrollo y estado actual de la cirugía video laparoscópica.

The technological development has extraordinarily influenced on the medicine field, and an authentic sample is the laparoscopic video-surgery. Without any doubt, the most used in the world laparoscopic procedure is the cholecystectomy. For it to become true in the scientific scenery at the end of the last century, a series of discovering and previous facts took place, serving as a basis for it. The aim of this article is giving to know how the laparoscopic procedures appeared and developed in general, and particularly laparoscopy, taking into account the great usage and benefits of these techniques for the patients. The theme review allows us to know the emergence, development and current status of the video-laparoscopic surgery.

Algunos apuntes en la historia de la cirugía vascular / Some notes on the history of the vascular surgery

La cirugía vascular, es una disciplina que se ocupa del estudio, diagnóstico y tratamiento de las enfermedades vasculares. La patología vascular es conocida desde la antigüedad, existiendo datos directos e indirectos de su existencia al respecto, en pinturas, esculturas y restos arqueológicos. De acuerdo con lo expuesto, creemos que el estudio del origen de los conocimientos médicos desde su fuentes y el seguimiento de su proceso de integración hasta nuestros días, puede asegurarnos una excelente perspectiva que nos permita predecir la evolución futura de nuestra ciencia. Con esta intención realizamos una revisión de los hitos más trascendentes en la historia de la cirugía vascular, en la cual trataremos de exponer -con sumo rigor- los hechos pasados sobre los que descansa el conocimiento que, en la actualidad, tenemos acerca de esta ciencia y, sobre todo, de su solución quirúrgica.

The Vascular Surgery is the discipline, responsable of the study, diagnosis and treatment of the vascular diseases. The knowledge of the vascular pathologies is very ancient, and we have direct and indirect information of its existence, in pictures, sculptures and archeological remains. According to this exposition, we think that the study of the source of the medical knowledge, from its beginning and the follow of the integration process until our days, can permit excellent perspectives, for the prediction of the future evolution of our science. With this intention, we realized a revision of the principal milestones in the history of the vascular surgery, for to expose with rigor, the past.

O namoro de Freud e a descoberta da anestesia tópica / Freud’s romantic attraction and the topic anesthesia

A descoberta por Kõller da anestesia tópica com a cocaína revolucionou a cirurgia no final do século XIX. No entanto, os pitorescos lances históricos que envolvem tal avanço médico, como a importante participação de Freud, o pai da Psicanálise, e a influência de seu namoro com Martha Bernays nessa descoberta, são muito pouco divulgados. O objetivo do artigo é exatamente abordar esses fatos.

The topical anesthesia with cocaine discovered by Kõller revolutionized surgery in the late nineteenth century. However, the picturesque historic anecdotes involving this medical advancement such as the important contribution of Freud, the father of Psychoanalysis, and the influence of his courtship with Martha Bernays in this discovery, is very little known. This article aims to address exactly these facts.

Epilepsia em celebridades: [revisão] / Epilepsy in famous persons: [review]

Durante a Idade Média, a epilepsia era considerada uma manifestação espiritual, freqüentemente associada à idéia de possessão demoníaca, o que trouxe aos portadores um sofrimento adicional, imposto pelo preconceito. Eles eram segregados e rotulados como "lunáticos", sendo desacreditados e excluídos da vida social e científica. À luz da modernidade, várias celebridades têm sido sugeridas como portadoras de epilepsia, e as manifestações críticas e intercríticas podem ter contribuído, pelo menos em parte, para seus papéis decisivos na história. Este artigo de revisão apresenta algumas evidências de epilepsia em cinco personalidades importantes do passado, as quais, a despeito dos sofrimentos impostos pelos preconceitos e pela própria patologia, deixaram uma obra e um legado histórico de valor incalculável.

Persons with epilepsy almost always have been seen as lunatic, hysterical or insane people, mainly during medieval times. Thus, they were segregated and left beside social and scientific communities. Nevertheless, several famous persons have been described as suffering from epilepsy, and it is believed that at least some of their important contributions may have resulted from ictal and interictal epileptic phenomena. This paper reviews some evidences of epilepsy diagnosis in five famous persons, who left us a legacy of knowledge and a wonderful artistic production, in spite of having had a very suffering and difficult life.

La prioridad de Carlos J. Finlay en el descubrimiento del vector amarílico

A partir de un breve análisis de la bibliografía clásica sobre la fiebre amarilla a escala internacional, de los primeros estudios realizados en Cuba sobre la enfermedad y de algunos de los escritos más importantes del doctor Carlos J. Finlay Barrés al respecto, se demuestra la prioridad del genial sabio cubano en el descubrimiento, no sólo del modo de transmisión del mal por intermedio del mosquito Aedes aegypti, sino también de la forma de prevenirlo, al tiempo que se confirma que en tal sentido no tuvo precursores. Al efecto de consolidar tal demostración, se presenta la traducción al español del texto de una carta dirigida a Finlay por Walter Reed en octubre de 1900, en la cual le solicitaba información sobre sus experimentos con el insecto. A esta prueba documental, se añaden una relación de los primeros descubrimientos a escala internacional relacionada con la transmisión de enfermedades por insectos chupadores de sangre, con mención de sus autores y del año en que se dieron a conocer; así como una lista con los nombres de todos los voluntarios inoculados por Finlay entre 1881 y 1900, que incluye la fecha y el lugar en que se llevó a cabo cada prueba. Clasificación: Artículo histórico.

Starting from a brief analysis of classic bibliography on yellow fever, the fist studies carried out in Cuba on this condition carried out in Cuba and some important writings on this topic by Carlos J. Finlay the priority of the Cuban wise in the discovery of the mode of transmission of this condition by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and also the prevention method corroborating, at the same time, that in that sense there were not precedings. To corroborate this statement, a translation to Spanish of a letter sent by Walter Reed to Carlos J Finlay dated in October, 1900 requesting information on the experiments carried out with the insect. A relation of the first discoveries all over the world related conditions transmitted by blood sucking insects mentioning the authors and years of appearance and also a list of the names of the volunteers inoculated by Finlay between 1881 and 1900 containing date and place of the test are included.

El doctor Vicente Luis Ferrer y la revista El Propagador de la Vacuna

Se exponen algunos aspectos relevantes de la obra del médico español Vicente Luis Ferrer en Cuba, con énfasis en su contribución a la propagación de la vacuna. En tal sentido, se exponen las características de una publicación por él fundada en 1871, dirigida en principio a los jóvenes que en su época habían sellado los primeros pasos de su carrera con admirable brillantez y prometían ser verdaderas lumbreras; así como a los profesores eminentes que, en su insaciable sed de instrucción, bebían de continuo las buenas fuentes del saber y seguían paso a paso los progresos de la Medicina. Por estas cualidades, unos y otros eran, según Ferrer, los llamados a asimilar la significación de la vacuna y a convertirse en multiplicadores en la divulgación de sus beneficios como medio seguro de proteger a la población contra la viruela, enfermedad que entonces sembraba la muerte en todo el territorio nacional. Clasificación: Artículo histórico.

Some relevant aspects of the work by Spanish Dr. Vicente Luis Ferrer in Cuba, with emphasis in his contribution to the spread of a vaccine are exposed. In such sense, the characteristics of his publication founded in 1871, directed at the beginning, to the young people who at their time had sealed the first steps of their career with admirable brilliance and promised to be true lights are exposed; as well as to the eminent professors who, in their ever-lasting thirst of instruction, drank continuously from the good sources of knowledge and, step by step, followed the progress of medicine. By these and other qualities, they were, according to Ferrer, called upon to assimilate the meaning of the vaccine and to become multipliers in the spreading of its benefits as a safe medium for protecting the population from the smallpox, a disease that has then become a death toll through our national territory. Classification: Historical article.

La justicia: ese sol del mundo moral

Convocada a la reflexión, junto al resto de los profesores integrantes del claustro de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas "General Calixto García", la autora recurre a un modesto trabajo de recopilación que había realizado hace poco más de un año, para la impartición de un curso pre-Congreso en Educación Médica/98, sobre el gran educador cubano José de la Luz y Caballero. El breve y sencillo trabajo es una invitación a la reflexión y a la acción, a partir de la asimilación de las experiencias lucistas que pueden mantener su vigencia si los actuales maestros las adecuan a los nuevos tiempos.

Prompted to make reflections with the rest of the teaching staff of "General Calixto García" Faculty of Medicine, the author of this paper presents a simple work of information collection about the great Cuban educator José de la Luz y Caballero that she had conducted about a year ago to give a pre-congress course in the holding of Medical Education´98 event. The brief and simple research work is an invitation to make reflections on and take actions on the basis of the assimilation of the Cuban educator´s experience that can keep their validity if today´s professors adapt them to the new times.