Guido Baccelli (25 November 1830 – 10 January 1916) was an Italian

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and

statesman A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level. Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States * ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...

. One of the most renowned Italian physicians of the late 19th Century, he was Minister of Education of the then young

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...

for six times and once Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce, for a total period of almost ten years, between 1881 and 1903. He was a teacher to

Augusto Murri Augusto Murri (8 September 1841, Fermo - 11 November 1932, Bologna) was an Italian physician. Appointed to the Chair of Clinical Medicine at the University of Bologna in 1875, he was regarded as one of the most illustrious clinical doctors and in ...

. Together with Italian surgeon

Francesco Durante Francesco Durante (31 March 1684 – 30 September 1755) was a Neapolitan composer. Biography He was born at Frattamaggiore, in the Kingdom of Naples, and at an early age he entered the '' Conservatorio dei poveri di Gesù Cristo'', in Naples, ...

, Baccelli promoted the construction of the

Policlinico Umberto I Located in the Quartiere San Lorenzo, the Policlinico Umberto I of Rome is the polyclinic of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the Sapienza Università di Roma. The second largest public hospital in Italy (after the Policlinico Sant'Orsola-M ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. The fundamental feature of his teaching was anatomopathological and clinical at one time;he alternated lessons on the sick with lessons on the corpse, so that students could have an exact view of the progress of diseases, and at the same time the anatomical damage they induce. His concept of clinical anatomism ("The modern clinic" he used to repeat "is a school of living anatomy") always found practical application to the patient's bed, in the approach given by his school to the study of diseases and was largely comforted by the brilliant results achieved in semeiotics and therapy. Of the clinical work of the Baccelli are first to remember the flattering successes obtained by the bold endovenous introduction of quinine salts in the treatment of

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

, and that of corrosive sublimated (Bichloride of mercury) in the treatment of rebellious

syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...

Baccelli as a physician

Following the footsteps of his father Antonio Baccelli, who was a physician of note, Guido Baccelli started his academic path by studying medicine in

, his native city. After graduating in 1852, Baccelli practiced as a physician for hospitals, in particular the " Santo Spirito in Saxia" in Rome; as well as professor in numerous subfields of medicine. Guido Baccelli spent almost his entire clinical and teaching life in the ancient, glorious but by that time decaying and unfit, mediaeval hospital of Santo Spirito in Saxia in

, between the

Tiber The Tiber ( ; it, Tevere ; la, Tiberis) is the third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the Riv ...

and the

Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...

.Borghi, ''Rome's physician...'', p. 396. He was one of the Italian pioneers in the use of the

stethoscope The stethoscope is a medical device for auscultation, or listening to internal sounds of an animal or human body. It typically has a small disc-shaped resonator that is placed against the skin, and one or two tubes connected to two earpieces. ...

- the common people often referred to him as "the physician who examines the sick with the trumpet" – of

intravenous therapy Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy) is a medical technique that administers fluids, medications and nutrients directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration or to provide nutri ...

and

oxygen therapy Oxygen therapy, also known as supplemental oxygen, is the use of oxygen as medical treatment. Acute indications for therapy include hypoxemia (low blood oxygen levels), carbon monoxide toxicity and cluster headache. It may also be prophylactica ...

. In particular, he became famous when administered

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as wel ...

to the Italian King

Victor Emmanuel II Victor Emmanuel II ( it, Vittorio Emanuele II; full name: ''Vittorio Emanuele Maria Alberto Eugenio Ferdinando Tommaso di Savoia''; 14 March 1820 – 9 January 1878) was King of Sardinia from 1849 until 17 March 1861, when he assumed the title o ...

, prolonging his life for a few days during his last illness (a severe

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

).Crespi, ''Guido Baccelli...''. He gave relevant contributions to the struggle against

which, at that time, was one of the main health and social problems of the recently reunited

and of its Capital town. In 1878 – with the occasion of the

Universal Exposition A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

– he wrote an important state-of-the-art essay on this subject: ''La Malaria di Roma''. Guido Baccelli successively welcomed in his clinic of Santo Spirito the two future Nobel Prizes

Alphonse Laveran Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran (18 June 1845 – 18 May 1922) was a French physician who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1907 for his discoveries of parasitic protozoans as causative agents of infectious diseases such as malaria ...

(in 1882) and

Camillo Golgi Camillo Golgi (; 7 July 184321 January 1926) was an Italian biologist and pathologist known for his works on the central nervous system. He studied medicine at the University of Pavia (where he later spent most of his professional career) betwee ...

(in 1893) who were looking for confirmations of their theories about the origin and evolution of malaria, in the

Campagna Romana The Roman Campagna () is a low-lying area surrounding Rome in the Lazio region of central Italy, with an area of approximately . It is bordered by the Tolfa and Sabatini mountains to the north, the Alban Hills to the southeast, and the Tyrrhenia ...

, then scourged by the disease during summer and autumn time. Baccelli was quite slow in accepting the

anopheles ''Anopheles'' () is a genus of mosquito first described and named by J. W. Meigen in 1818. About 460 species are recognised; while over 100 can transmit human malaria, only 30–40 commonly transmit parasites of the genus ''Plasmodium'', which c ...

as the sole vector in the transmission of the illness,Borghi, ''Rome's physician...'', p. 397. nevertheless he was a strong medical and political supporter of the Laws for the

drainage Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess of water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils is good enough to prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic conditio ...

of the

and the

Pontine Marshes 250px, Lake Fogliano, a coastal lagoon in the Pontine Plain The Pontine Marshes (, also ; it, Agro Pontino , formerly also ''Paludi Pontine''; la, Pomptinus Ager by Titus Livius, ''Pomptina Palus'' (singular) and ''Pomptinae Paludes'' (plur ...

that - along with the free administration of

quinine Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria and babesiosis. This includes the treatment of malaria due to ''Plasmodium falciparum'' that is resistant to chloroquine when artesunate is not available. While sometimes used for nocturnal leg cr ...

- significantly reduced the incidence of the disease in those areas. Moreover, in 1889 he devised an effective treatment of the most serious cases of malaria with intravenous injections of

Innovation

Guido Baccelli was a promoter of

intravenous Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy) is a medical technique that administers fluids, medications and nutrients directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration or to provide nutrie ...

or endovenous injections as a technique for malignant diseases. During a medical congress in Rome in 1894, Bacelli defined himself as the originator of the idea of injecting medication into the veins for the specific treatment of malaria and syphilis via a neutral solution (10%) of quinine hydrochlorate. Baccelli developed experience on this technique through animal testing. Following extensive experimentation, Baccelli described the intravenous injections as "harmless" and "rapid", and therefore applied this technique to his patients. As a consequence, endovenous injection gained high popularity amongst the Italian population during his practice. In addition to the use of intravenous therapy, Baccelli's spirit of innovation was reflected by his teaching style, which consisted in encouraging his pupils to adopt modern scientific methods, and by his extensive use of the stethoscope as a diagnostic tool.

Research

Baccelli was an active researcher with a particular focus on

, a disease that was significantly affecting Rome and the Roman countryside (the "

") at the end of the 19th century. Baccelli hosted in his research centre Alphonse Laveran (in 1882) and

(in 1893), two leading scientists who were also interested in researching malaria. Another important area of research for Baccelli was the abdominal and thoracic symptomatology. Baccelli performed important works on the pathology of the heart and aorta. The investigation of a wide variety of symptoms and morbid features led Baccelli to the discovery of the aphonic pectoriloquy, a phenomenon consisting in the modification of the voice heard on auscultation. Today the aphonic pectoriloquy is still known as "Baccelli's sign". The papers published by Baccelli include: * Monograph on Roman malaria including views on sanitary improvement of Campagna (1878) * Treatise in four volumes on the pathology of the heart and aorta (1863 to 1878) * Clinical lectures on Malaria (1869) * Sub continuous fevers (1876) * True Empyema (1868) * Primary cancer of the spleen (1876) * A new method of treatment for aneurysm of the aorta (1876) * A new symptom of ovarian tumours in general and of ovarian cysts in particular (1876) * The transmission of sounds through endopleuritic effusions (1875 & 1877) * State medicine and clinical medicine in ancient and modern Rome (1879) * Paradoxal compensation of cardiac lesions (1894)

Academic teaching

Baccelli conducted teaching activities throughout his entire career. In 1856 the pontifical government assigned Baccelli the teaching of Forensic Medicine at the Pontifical University of "

La Sapienza The Sapienza University of Rome ( it, Sapienza – Università di Roma), also called simply Sapienza or the University of Rome, and formally the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a public research university located in Rome, Ita ...

", a role that he carried out for two years. Subsequently, in 1862, Baccelli devoted himself to the field of morbid anatomy and started teaching Clinical Medicine, a subject that he delivered until the end of his career. In addition, Baccelli lectured on many other subjects including botany and pathology.

Career as a politician

In parallel to his career as a physician, Guido Baccelli was also an active politician who devoted significant time and effort to improving his home city, Rome, in numerous fields, ranging from agriculture to education. The leading roles obtained by Baccelli as a politician include: Deputy for Rome at the Italian parliament in 1875, Minister of Public Instruction in 1881 during Cairoli's 3rd Cabinet, during Depretis' 4th and 5th cabinet from 1881 to 1884, during Crespi's 3rd 4th Cabinet from 1893 to 1896 and during Pelloux's first and second cabinet from 1898 to 1900, Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce during Zanardelli's first government from 1901 to 1903 and "President of the National Board of Health" (Consiglio Superiore di Sanità) from 1872 to 1877 and again from 1887 to 1915. As part of his role as Minister of Public Instruction, Baccelli promoted reforms in the fields of primary and university education. Baccelli's ideas were revolutionary for the time, in fact in a time period were the central government opposed giving too much knowledge to the populous he strived to reduce the rate of illiteracy with a peculiar type of schooling known at the time as "Complementary". It would instruct young adults between the ages of 16-19 by reviewing what had been studied in elementary school and adding military topics (1898). Baccelli also proposed a law on the work of women and children (Sul lavoro delle donne e dei fanciulli) which was approved in June 1902, this law substituted the obsolete law of February 1886 n 3657.

The Foundation of Policlinico Umberto I

Baccelli wanted to create a modern hospital in Rome one that would encompass all the different clinics of the ancient Roman hospitals. Baccelli himself laid out the plan of this project the first stone was placed on 19 January 1888 in the presence of the King Umberto Primo. The construction started in September 1889 and lasted 12 years and was completed by 1902. The hospital was officially inaugurated in 1903. It was structured in 6 pavilions each of them was structured in 2-3 floors. The hospital could hold up to 1200 ill the area it occupied was 160000 metres squared. It was fairly isolated compared to the rest of the city this is because it was built in a place thought to be one of the most salubrious of the whole city.

Cultural and environmental contributions

Baccelli's contribution to the cultural richness of Rome are not to be underestimated, most noteworthy are the opening of the galleria dell'arte moderna (Modern art gallery), the creation of the Archaeological stroll (Passeggiata archeologica) in the Imperial forum. The area at the time was threatened by a number of buildings Baccelli saw the historical and archaeological value of this site and proposed a number of laws that prohibited the construction of buildings in the area, like the law proposed on 13 November and ratified on 7 December 1898 which extended the no-build area even further. To convince his colleagues on the usefulness of this protected area he brought their attention to the fact that the area was insalubrious and unhealthy. Quote: "Convince yourselves gentlemen that your first priority for your house in the capital is to make this evermore salubrious; add to this that one of the most degraded areas and closest to buildings is surrounded by the

palatino Palatino is the name of an old-style serif typeface designed by Hermann Zapf, initially released in 1949 by the Stempel foundry and later by other companies, most notably the Mergenthaler Linotype Company. Named after the 16th-century Italia ...

on one side and the

colosseum The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world to ...

at the end of it and on its right the

baths of Caracalla The Baths of Caracalla ( it, Terme di Caracalla) in Rome, Italy, were the city's second largest Ancient Rome, Roman public baths, or ''thermae'', after the Baths of Diocletian. The baths were likely built between AD 212 (or 211) and 216/217, durin ...

; and so from the grandiose of the ancient monuments becomes a proud sarcasm the present insalubrity. This area that lies in the heart of the city is one of the most plagued by Malaria, there are undisciplined waters, there the canes grow, there the declivity of the ground is great, there is everything that you can humanly fear as a reason of great unhealthiness. So wouldn't you think, before the bridges, before the buildings, before the policlinico itself, of the salubrity of this city you will have to live in?".Borghi, Luca. (2015). Guido Baccelli, proto-ambientalista? La tutela della natura come strumento educativo e sanitario a cavallo tra Ottocento e Novecento. I labirinti della medicina atti del 50° congresso nazonale della società italiana di storia della medicina And the revival of ancient monuments which had been modified like the

pantheon Pantheon may refer to: * Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building Arts and entertainment Comics *Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization * ''Pantheon'' (Lone S ...

to this Pope Urbano 7th Barberini commissioned

Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, , ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 159828 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor of his ...

to add 2 bell towers which became popularly known as "The donkey's ears" these were removed by Baccelli in 1883 and some bronze letters were added to the facade in memory of Agrippa's work.Antonazzi Giovanni, Le «orecchie d'asino» sul Pantheon, in Fogli sparsi raccolti per il sabato sera, Roma, Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, 1997, p. 158. Baccelli also strived to protect the environment as we see in April 1887 when a forestry law (Legge forestale) was being discussed. This would have granted more liberty to the proprietors of those woods to exploit them, Baccelli strongly opposed this law and to support his thesis he brought forward epidemiological data and in doing so provided a connection between deforestation and illness. He also introduced for the first time in Italy in 1899 the

Arbor day Arbor Day (or Arbour in some countries) is a secular day of observance in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date varies, dependi ...

(festa degli alberi) the first celebration of this day in Rome (21 November 1899) was a huge success with over 5000 students participating, and the planting of over 400 trees.

Main writings

* ''Ascoltazione e percussione nella Scuola romana'', Dalla Tipografia Forense, Roma 1857, pp. 10 * ''Patologia del cuore e dell'aorta'', Dallo Stabilimento Tipografico, Roma 1863–1866, 3 voll. * ''La Malaria di Roma'', estratto dalla Monografia della Città di Roma e della Campagna Romana, Tipografia Elzeviriana, Roma 1878, pp. 51 * ''La via delle vene aperta ai medicamenti eroici'', Tip. Nazionale Ditta G. Bertero e C., Roma 1907, pp. 66

Bibliography

* Anonymous, ''Guido Baccelli, M.D.'', BMJ 1916;1:114.2 * Alfredo Baccelli, ''Guido Baccelli. Ricordi'', Edizioni "La Riforma Medica", Napoli 1931, pp. 114 *Fausto Pettinelli, ''Il Medico dei Re'', CLD, Pontedera 2000, pp. 102 *Giovanni Antonazzi, Le <> sul Pantheon, in fogli sparsi raccolti per il sabato sera, Roma, edizioni di storia e letteratura (1997) *Giovanni Gorrini, ''Guido Baccelli. La vita, l'opera, il pensiero'', Lattes, Torino 1916, pp. 318 *Irene Quaresima, ''Guido Baccelli. Sintesi di una vita'', Prospettive Edizioni, Roma 2002 * Luca Borghi, ''Guido Baccelli'', in JOURNAL OF MEDICAL BIOGRAPHY (2012) 20 (2), p. 70 *Luca Borghi, Guido Baccelli, proto-ambientalista? La tutela della natura come strumento educativo e sanitario a cavallo tra Ottocento e Novecento. I labirinti della medicina atti del 50° congresso nazonale della società italiana di storia della medicina (2015)
Luca Borghi, ''Rome's physician: Guido Baccelli and his legacy in the new Italian Capital'', in MEDICINA NEI SECOLI. ARTE E SCIENZA, (2013) 25/2, pp. 395-414
* Luca Borghi, ''Il medico di Roma. Vita, morte e ''miracoli'' di Guido Baccelli (1830-1916)'', Armando Editore, Roma 2015, pp, 456
Mario Crespi, ''Guido Baccelli'', in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, Vol. 5 (1963)
*Paolo De Vecchi Baccelli's method of endovenous injections of corrosive sublimate. Ruggiero (1985) *Polifilo (Beltrami, Luca) Roma finis saeculi, Bocca. (1899) ranslated from Italian*Richard Hogner, Intravenous, Medical Injections According to Prof. Guido Baccelli's Method. The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. 132(26) (1895) *Valerio Strinati, "Origini e Istituzione della Cassa di maternità (1875-1910)" Studi Storici. 45(2) (2004)

References

External links

*
Monuments and memories of Guido Baccelli in Himetop - The History of Medicine Topographical Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baccelli, Guido 19th-century Italian physicians Education ministers of Italy Agriculture ministers of Italy Zanardelli Cabinet 1916 deaths 1830 births