Agenda UV

The exhibition “Infància, salut i malaltia. El Dr. Ramón Gómez Ferrer (1862-1924)” -Childhood, health and illness. Dr. Ramón Gómez Ferrer (1862-1924)- has been organised as a commemoration for his 150 birthday’s anniversary

Descripció:

The University of Valencia and the Spanish Reasearch Council (CSIC) introduce, today Wednesday 18 September, the exhibition exhibition “Infància, salut i malaltia. El Dr. Ramón Gómez Ferrer (1862-1924)” -Childhood, health and illness. Dr. Ramón Gómez Ferrer (1862-1924)- at the José Puche’s hall in the Institute for the History of Medicine and Science (joined centre of the University of Valencia and the CSIC), whose headquarters is in Palau de Cerveró.

The exhibition, organised in the events’ frame of the 150 birthday’s anniversary of the Valencian paediatrician, has been carried out in collaboration with the Ramón Gómez Ferrer Cultural Association and it counts on Joan Lloret as steward, and Àlvar Martínez as steward’s assistant, both professors from the University of Valencia.

Through the XIX century, the hygienist movement defended, facing the high infant mortality, the need of protecting poor or abandoned children, collateral victims of the industrial revolution, who die due to starvation, the exhausting work or the bad hygienic conditions. According to the doctors of this age, the ‘illness of children’ (typical clinical profile among minors) constituted one of the most voluminous chapters of the human pathology.Gradually, it was configured a specific field of knowledge and attendant practice which presented two aspects: paediatrics for treating children’s illness and childcare for preventing those illness by having a good diet and hygienic rules.

The University of Valencia was provided with a paediatrics’ chair, which was occupied by Dr, Gómez Ferrer since 1888 until his death. Through the multifaceted activity of the distinguished doctor, the visitor will have the occasion of knowing first hand the efforts of the Valencian society for fighting against the high mortality rates during the first years of life and, in short, in favour of childish health, initiatives that answer a programme of modernization, in which education and hygiene occupied a main role. This way, the exhibition shows on the one hand, the introduction of paediatrics university teaching as an independent discipline in the University of Valencia; together with the scientific contribution of the first full university professor of paediatrics in national and international meetings, specially in childish infectious illness, and also his private as well as public assistance work in the children’s hall of the Hospital General de Valencia (Valencia’s General Hospital)

Additionally, the creation of minors’ tutelary tribunals occupy a space in the exhibition, as witness of his interest for protecting children. Moreover, some of the projects of Gómez Ferrer which did not become real are recovered, the Institute of Nipiology or the Children’s Hospital.

Finally, the exhibition shows how Valencian society recognize publicly the value of the Valencian paediatrician paying homages to him, building esculptures of him and dedicating the names of streets, avenues and squares to him. The exhibition will be opened to the public, from today Wednesday 18 September to next 10 January 2014, from Monday to Friday, from 8 to 20 hours.