(1870-1902) Medical Doctor - Surgeon
by Dr. Carlos Galliani, M.D.
Alejandro Posadas
(1870-1902) Medical Doctor - Surgeon
by Dr. Carlos Galliani, M.D.
He was born in Saladillo on December 28 of 1870, in a family of comfortable economical resources. The second of six siblings, son of Mr. Alejandro Posadas and Mrs. Josefa Martinez. He was admitted as pupil in El Salvador School in Buenos Aires on March 20 of 1979. Retarded for health problems completed in December of 1887 simultaneously the two years of high school. He entered to the school of medicine in 1888, and concluded his studies in December of 1893. Graduated with honor May 10 of 1894. After a brilliant dissertation, he gets the position of internal doctor for competition in the Hospital of Clinics. His teachers were Pirovano, I Castrate, Chavez, Wernike, and Udaondo.
In 1891, while he was student at the university Hospital, he had the opportunity of examining a soldier with nodular recurrent lesions in the skin. His teacher was then famous pathologist Robert Wernike. His observations, which originally were interpreted like a neoplasm, continued for seven years until the patient died.
Nevertheless, they recognized the presence of a parasite in the lesion not yet described similar organism to the protozoa of the Coccidia order.
Posadas publish their discoveries (A. Inns- A new case of mycosis fungoidea with psorospermia. Círculo Médico Argentino 1892; 15: 585-97) and Wernike reports the same patient in Germany (Wernike R. Ueber Protozoenbefund einen bei mycosis fungoides. Zentral Bakteriol bl 1892; 12: 859-61).
Posadas reproduced the illness in several animals inoculating material of the skin lesions of the soldier. The causal organism was characterized finally by Ophüls (Ophüls W, Moffitt HC. To new pathogenic mould formerly described ace to protozoan: Coccidiodes immitis) Preliminary report. Phila Med J 1900; 5: 1471-1472) nominating it Coccidiodes (similar to Coccidia) immitis (im= not, mitis= moderate or soft).
Coccidiomicosis is unusual in Argentina. It is endemic in the southwest of the United States where the illness of Posadas is known like the fever of San Joaquin (San Joaquin Valley, California). Rixford and Gilchrist make the same observation that Posadas in a Portuguese immigrant in the Valley of San Joaquin, California, almost to the same time.
Posadas and Wernike were the first in reporting rhinosporidiosis, lesion whose agent is still today enigmatic. Posadas developed an illustrious career as surgical teacher, being named Substitute Professor of Operation Medicine at twenty-six years old.
He published on amputations, temporary toracoplasties, on the treatment of hidatics cysts, and he was a distinguished lecturer. He traveled through the United States and Europe spreading a brilliant international prestige to the Argentine surgery. Teacher of teachers, Rocatagliata, Chutro, Arce, and Finocchietto was formed with Posadas.
During 1901-1902 dictated conferences in the service of Children of the Professor Blancas.
After operating a boy in the spring of 1902, he gathers his pupils in order to inform them of his imminent journey to Europe. He had a firm premonition on their journey, that manifested to his close friend.
He past away in Paris November 21st, 1902.