One of the most significant in the history of world medicine is, without doubt, the Royal Philanthropic Expedition of the Vaccine or also known as the Expedition Balmis , ordered by King Carlos IV of Spain to its colonies in America and Asia between 1803 and 1806.
This determination was crucial monarch seems the opinion of Surgeon Real Chamber of Balmis Francisco Xavier (1743-1819), a native of Alicante, Valencia, Mexico who had witnessed the ravages of the epidemic of 1779 smallpox among the natives, mainly, and I was a strong supporter of the new method of vaccination against then practiced variolation.
lint in Spain were received with lymph smallpox vaccine two years after Edward Jenner published his observations and in 1800 the doctor and Verdacer Piguillem Francisco (1771-1826), born in Gerona, Catalonia, lymph from Paris made the first vaccinations in their home region. Wishing
the English crown to extend this benefit as soon as possible to their colonies, organized the Royal Philanthropic Expedition of the vaccine at the beginning of the second half of the year Balmis 1803 with the doctor and surgeon director José Salvany Lleopart Catalan (1777-1810) Deputy Director, assisted by two physician assistants, two practitioners, four nurses and 22 orphans who had been inoculated with the vaccine still alive in your body.
The expedition departed from La Coruña and then split in La Guaira (Venezuela). José Salvany, the second surgeon, entered what is now Colombia and the Viceroyalty of Peru (now Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Bolivia). It took them seven years touring the country and the efforts of took the life journey of self Salvany, who died in Cochabamba in 1810. Balmis meanwhile returned to Havana and then depart the Port of Manila bound for Acapulco. Philippine travel to Guangzhou (China), where 22 people were vaccinated but did not get the cooperation of the delegates of the Philippine Company in that city to continue its mission. That was why China started that city the way back to Spain, finally reaching Madrid on September 7, 1806, ending one of the most extraordinary epics of the world medical history.
himself the discoverer of smallpox vaccine Edward Jenner wrote about the issue:
"I can not imagine that in the annals of history they provide a most noble example of philanthropy and broader than this .
Links:
Book: e-Book Balmis Expedition. English Association of Pediatrics.
Ruta Quetzal : Chapter dedicated to Balmis.
Sources: Wikipedia
