Today, 80 years ago, the Illustrious Medical Spanish, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, died, in Madrid; concretely, he died in October – 17 – 1934. And I want to share with you a video, that I found about him, where we can see Fernando Rey (a magnificent Spanish Actor, who died in 1994), speaking of Ramón y Cajal, in his Museum.
Ramón y Cajal received the Nobel Prize in Medicine, in 1906.
If you want to watch the video, please click on the link below:
http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/personajes-en-el-archivo-de-rtve/ramon-cajal-1852-1934/1213438/
Fernando Rey: “Absorbed the attention of the Spaniards, for the liquidation of the events in Barcelona and Asturias, just learn a few people, that Santiago Ramón y Cajal, after a long and fruitful life, feels his final hour has reached.
Despite of his advanced age and his infirmities, he retains a huge alertness, which contrasts with his physical weakness.
Until the eve of his death, he was working on correcting his magnum opus: "Histology of the nervous system of Humans and vertebrates", which is preparing a new edition.
On October 7, Cajal dies aged 82. (Note: this is wrong, because he really died on October 17, at 80). A journalist writes: "Spain lost, --while losing the Wise--, the most illustrious son. Spain mourns”. Nothing is more true. However, it is not enough to say that Cajal contributed, to the universal science, with some quite notable discoveries. It should be stressed, so it has meritorious, the special circumstances that developed his research .................. This was the work table in his laboratory.
When Cajal decided to pursue Histology, in 1877, Spain was an underdeveloped country, scientifically, lacking adequate institutions and minimum material conditions, that might encourage a young, 25 years old, like him, to surrender to Research. No media, no aid, he only counted on his brilliant intuition, hard-working and strong willpower.
In this museum, of the Cajal Institute, where we are, some precious memories of scientific work are preserved ... ..These are his histological preparations ...... ..And, in this cupboard, in his lab, Mr. Santiago kept his scientific drawings ...... here are some of them ... .; Note that, apart from their educational value, they also have an artistic value.
Cajal, applying new histological techniques, made important discoveries about the texture of the Nervous System of Humans and Vertebrates. ..so ..., he could sketch out the "Neuron Doctrine", which ended the reticular Doctrine, considered as scientific dogma, until then ...... …But, when Cajal wanted to communicate their findings to the world, he did not get any official help ... .Only, at the cost of considerable economic and personal sacrifice, he could move, in 1899, to Berlin, and participate in meetings of the German Anatomical Society, before where he presented his work ... .From that time, he was recognized internationally. And in 1900, he received the Award of Moscow and the Helmholtz Medal, in 1905 –an important distinction, granted by the Imperial Academy of Sciences, in Berlin, which have only great artists of the standing of Madame Curie, Pasteur, Einstein and four or five more. In 1906, he received the Nobel Prize for Medicine, which he shared with the Italian histologist, Golgi. Back then, there were created School in Spain, where he was Professor of the speciality, first in Barcelona, in 1877, and since 1892, in Madrid ............ .That School still survives today in the Cajal Institute.
The day of his funeral, his disciples are those who carry the coffin. To them, Cajal taught them not only his immense science, but also something very important: a way of life, in the service of all human beings. For them, were these words of the Master: "Completed our work, we will be forgotten, as the seed furrow; comfort us but something to consider our remote descendants will us some of his happiness and that through our efforts, the world will be a little more pleasant and intelligible".
The name of Ramón y Cajal brings me good memories, because in 1995, I was operated on my eyes, in the "Ramón y Cajal" Hospital of Madrid, and the operation went very well.
And I find it interesting, to recall the figure of Ramon y Cajal, these days, when you are talking about the Ebola virus and the need to discover, soon, a vaccine to prevent many deaths, that are occurring in many places of the world.
Until my next post, kind regards,
Luis.
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