A silent bronze figure stands before us. It is the Bernardino António Gomes Bust. This bust honors a remarkable man. Bernardino António Gomes was a physician scientist chemist and botanist. Let’s delve into the story of this influential figure.
Bernardino António Gomes was born in Paredes de Coura in 1768. He died in Lisbon in 1823. He significantly impacted medicine and science. He studied various plants from Brazil. Gomes was the first scientist to isolate cinchonina. This substance comes from the cinchona tree. Cinchonina is important because it contains antifebrile properties. This discovery paved the way for alkaloid chemistry. It also led to quinine development to treat malaria.
His work wasn’t limited to just fevers. Bernardino António Gomes also excelled in treating skin diseases. He wrote an essay called “dermosográfica”. Because of this essay he is considered the Patron of Dermatology in Portugal. In 1926 a bust was erected in his honor. It is located in Lisbon’s Botanical Garden. That is what we are standing in front of today.
Bernardino António Gomes studied medicine at the University of Coimbra. He earned his doctorate in 1793. After graduating he practiced medicine in Aveiro. He stayed there until 1797. Then he became a physician in the Royal Navy. He held the rank of frigate captain.
In 1797 Gomes sailed to Brazil. He remained there until 1801. During this time he thoroughly studied native Brazilian plants. He researched their properties and therapeutic uses. In 1802 he tackled a typhoid fever epidemic. It had broken out on a Portuguese squadron near Gibraltar. Within two months he solved the problem.
In 1810 another typhus epidemic struck a Portuguese squadron. This time it was also near Gibraltar. 445 sick people were taken to the Trafaria leper hospital. Bernardino António Gomes successfully treated them. He then left naval service. He began working at the Navy Hospital and Lisbon Military Hospital.
Bernardino António Gomes also played a key role in vaccination efforts. In 1812 he became a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences. At the academy he promoted the creation of the Vaccine Institution. This institution focused on smallpox vaccination. By 1817 they had administered 17000 inoculations.
In 1817 he was appointed Physician of the Royal Chamber. He accompanied Princess Leopoldina of Austria. She was traveling from Livorno to Rio de Janeiro. She was going to marry Dom Pedro the future Emperor of Brazil. Gomes spent six months in Rio de Janeiro. Then he returned to Lisbon. As a Royal Chamber physician Gomes was close to King João VI. He often visited him in Queluz.
During his time in Brazil Bernardino António Gomes studied medicinal plants. As a botanist he discovered Ipecacuanha fusca. He shared this discovery with Brotero. He also carefully studied Brazilian forests. He identified a new orchid genus. It was named Gomesa in his honor. He also created the botanical garden of the Lisbon Medical School.
Between 1798 and 1822 Gomes published many reports. These described the morphology and medicinal properties of plants. He also wrote about infectious diseases and their treatments. In 1812 the Vaccine Institution was founded in Lisbon. Bernardino António Gomes became its first director. Its goals were to expand vaccination in Portugal. It also promoted scientific progress. Gomes worked with other doctors to start vaccination programs.
Later he studied skin diseases. He focused on elephantiasis research. He wrote about its causes symptoms and treatments. He thoroughly studied patients in Lisbon’s Hospital de S. Lázaro. This hospital cared for leprosy patients. His book “Dermosographico Essay” summarized knowledge of skin diseases. He wrote much of it aboard the Nau D. João VI. He was accompanying Princess Maria Leopoldina to Brazil in 1817.
Bernardino António Gomes’s work had a global impact. He engaged in debates with other scientists. One major achievement was isolating cinchonina. This active substance is found in cinchona bark. It had been used as an antipyretic since the 17th century. He did much of his work at the Casa da Moeda’s chemical laboratory in Lisbon.
Bernardino António Gomes’s legacy lives on. He advanced medicine botany and chemistry. The Bernardino António Gomes Bust stands as a lasting tribute. It honors his contributions to science and medicine. Take a moment to appreciate the dedication.