The School of Tropical Medicine (), was an educational institution created in 1926 by an act of the Puerto Rican Legislature, to further the research initiated by the Anemia Commissions and the Institute of Tropical Medicine on anemia and its causes. The institution existed as an independent entity until 1949, when it was integrated into the

School of Medicine A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...

of the

University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Universidad de Puerto Rico;'' often shortened to UPR) is the main List of state and territorial universities in the United States, public university system in the Commonwealth (U.S. i ...

History

Puerto Rico Anemia Commission

Captain Bailey K. Ashford, a medical doctor, was a member of the

United States Army Medical Corps The Medical Corps (MC) of the U.S. Army is a staff corps (non-combat specialty branch) of the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) consisting of commissioned medical officers – physicians with either an M.D. or a D.O. degree, at least o ...

which accompanied the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

when Puerto Rico was invaded during the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

in 1898. As the medical officer in the general military hospital in Ponce, he was the first to describe and successfully treat

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

hookworm Hookworms are Gastrointestinal tract, intestinal, Hematophagy, blood-feeding, parasitic Nematode, roundworms that cause types of infection known as helminthiases. Hookworm infection is found in many parts of the world, and is common in areas with ...

in 1899.

Because of his clinical investigations into the

anemia Anemia (also spelt anaemia in British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen. This can be due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin availabl ...

caused by hookworm infestation, Ashford was inspired to organize and conduct a parasite treatment campaign. It cured approximately 300,000 persons (one-third of the Puerto Rico population) and reduced the death rate from this anemia by 90 percent.University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
/ref> Ashford and Dr. Isaac González Martínez encouraged the government to undertake a program to reduce hookworm and anemia. They were appointed as the founding members of the Puerto Rico Anemia Commission, established in 1904 by the Insular Government. Ashford had discovered that hookworm infestation was the principal cause of anemia on the island. He served on the Commission from 1904–1906. Medical research in Puerto Rico had its beginning with the "First Anemia Commission." In 1911, Ashford together with doctors Isaac Gonzalez Martinez, Pedro Gutiérrez Igaravides and Walter King, proposed that the local government create an Institute of Tropical Medicine to further the research initiated by the Anemia Commissions. In 1912, the local legislature approved the proposal and established the

Institute of Tropical Medicine An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...

.Fundador - Biografía del Doctor Isaac González Martínez

School of Tropical Medicine

The President of the Puerto Rico Senate, Antonio R. Barceló, was attending a conference in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

when he was approached by professors Jose Antonio Lopez Antongiorgi and Abraham L. Goodman from the Medical School of Columbia University. They spoke about the need for establishing a medical school in Puerto Rico where scientific investigations could be conducted into tropical diseases. Senator Barceló became interested in the idea and, on June 23, 1924, he sponsored the legislation which provided Governor Horace Towner, with the prerequisite funding for the school.''Puerto Rico Por Encima de Todo: Vida y Obra de Antonio R. Barceló, 1868-1938''; by: Dr. Delma S. Arrigoitia; Publisher: Ediciones Puerto (January 2008); The School of Tropical Medicine was formally dedicated in 1925. It was the second school in the United States and its territories (after Tulane's School of Tropical Medicine, 1913), founded for the purpose of researching and training physicians in the cause and prevention of tropical diseases. Located in Puerta de Tierra, San Juan, the school's building is one of the few examples of the Neo-Plateresque architectural style on the Island. In 1926, new legislation expanded the Institute of Tropical Medicine into the School of Tropical Medicine of the University of Puerto Rico, which was operated under the sponsorship of Columbia University. An agreement was made between the University of Puerto Rico and Columbia University in regard to the finances of the institution. Having completed a 30-year Army career, Ashford assumed a full-time faculty position at the school and continued his interest in tropical medicine. Together with doctors Isaac González Martínez and Ramón M. Suárez Calderon, he continued his research and study of anemia. González Martínez conducted many investigations and experiments in

parasitology Parasitology is the study of parasites, their host (biology), hosts, and the relationship between them. As a List of biology disciplines, biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in questio ...

bilharzia Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, bilharzia, and Katayama fever is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. It affects both humans and animals. It affects the urinary tract or the intestines ...

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...

and

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...

. During his years at the institution, González Martínez founded ''Anales de Medicina de Puerto Rico'', a scientific journal. He was elected president of the Medical Academy of Puerto Rico in 1917. In 1919, he published a chapter on his findings of the Intestinal Bilharzias in the book ''La Práctica de la Medicina en el Trópico''. Suárez Calderon identified the proper and effective treatment of a type of

known as

tropical sprue Tropical sprue is a malabsorption disease commonly found in tropical regions, marked with abnormal flattening of the villi and inflammation of the lining of the small intestine. It differs significantly from coeliac sprue. It appears to be a mor ...

, the application of complex methods, such as

electrocardiography Electrocardiography is the process of producing an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), a recording of the heart's electrical activity through repeated cardiac cycles. It is an electrogram of the heart which is a graph of voltage versus time of t ...

and

radioisotope A radionuclide (radioactive nuclide, radioisotope or radioactive isotope) is a nuclide that has excess numbers of either neutrons or protons, giving it excess nuclear energy, and making it unstable. This excess energy can be used in one of three ...

, to be used in clinics and the identification and treatment of the disease which causes heart rheumatism. Suárez Calderon continued Ashford's work and investigations on anemia after the latter's death. In 1938, he published his scientific findings on tropical sprue.Revista para los Medicos de Puerto Rico
/ref> In 1927, the institution offered courses in tropical medicine and nutrition. Most of the students continued their graduate work at Columbia University. In May 1930, the University of Puerto Rico offered two degrees of Master of Arts for the students who continued their education and work at the School of Tropical Medicine. In 1931, William B. Castle and his assistant Cornelius P. Rhoads studied hookworm and

in relation to anemia. They were able to treat some patients with liver extract, which efficacy was being studied. Dr.

George C. Payne George C. Payne (also known as G.C. Payne) was an American tropical physician and director for the International Health Board of the Rockefeller Foundation for Mexico and Trinidad in the 1920s. He also worked as a physician for the state health boa ...

continued to study anemia in 1936 and 1937.

UPR School of Medicine

The agreement between the University of Puerto Rico and Columbia University in regard to the School of Tropical Medicine was terminated by mutual consent in 1948. In May 1949, the Puerto Rican Legislature authorized the creation of the School of Medicine of the University of Puerto Rico, also known as the UPR School of Medicine. The School of Tropical Medicine was merged into the new school, and admitted its first class in August 1950. On September 29, 1983, the building in which the School of Tropical Medicine was located was listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

."School of Tropical Medicine, PR"
National Register of Historic Places It was later added to the

Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones The Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Registro Nacional de Sitios y Zonas Históricas'') is a Government of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican government program adopted by the state Puerto Rico Planning Board, ...

in 2000.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:School Of Tropical Medicine (Puerto Rico) 1926 establishments in Puerto Rico University of Puerto Rico Schools of public health in the United States Medical schools in Puerto Rico Universities and colleges established in 1926 National Register of Historic Places in San Juan, Puerto Rico University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Puerto Rico Spanish Revival architecture in Puerto Rico Tropical medicine organizations Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Puerto Rico

History

Puerto Rico Anemia Commission

School of Tropical Medicine

UPR School of Medicine

See also

References