the first chair of veterinary medicine I

THE FIRST CHAIR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE IN ARGENTINA:
THE BEGINNING OF THE SUPERIOR STUDIES OF AGRONOMY

Until not long ago time one thought that the first dictated chairs of veterinary medicine in Argentina had origin with the beginning of the classes in the Institute of Santa Catherine, that is to say, the 6 of August of 1883. Who thus thought, they forgot that in 1891 the young Argentine veterinarian Victor Arzac Gutiérrez published his thesis ?On veterinary medicine? and he made a clear reference to a chair there of Veterinary Medicine dictated by a certain Patiño in the School of Agriculture of Mendoza founded on 1877 by Sanz Rock.

The news did not deserve more than a brief paragraph of the thesis and, like this one, it was lost in the forgetfulness of the times.
The hour has arrived to clarify the mystery that locks up the names and mentioned dates.
First of all we remember that by law of the 30 of September of 1870 the Schools Agronómicas de Salta and Tucumán were created. Of the memory of the Ministry of Justice, Cult and Public Instruction corresponding to 1871 we extract that Federico Schickendantz and Francisco Sans Rock, Directors of the Schools of Agronómicas de Tucumán and Salta respectively, met that year to unify the curricula of both Agronómicos dependent Departments of the National Schools of Tucumán and Salta. In the joint report it is ***reflxed mng with respect to the Zootecnia matter that this ?will teach the way to raise in general the animals, the foods and rooms that agree to each one according to the destiny of such, presenting to us also the different races and the way to propagate them and to improve them?

The study of the Zootecnia without the one of the Veterinary medicine is not included/understood perfect that is the treaty to know the diseases the animals, way of precaver or healing them and medicines to them to that it must resort ". One was a School of Engineer Agronomists according to the decided plan, reason why it is deduced that these began before we to have superior studies in the country.

It is not the reason for this article to review the trajectory of these institutions although we have to advance expressed by Juan the Francisco Castro in the memory of the Department Agronómico de Salta corresponding to 1874: ?no of that they have followed the studies of the School, wishes to be contracted to agronómicas sciences?. The pesimism was based on which ?not appearing still to the professors of this science a flattering and immediate future, the taste by her does not awake in this youth?. There were chairs that did not occur by not having students, other yes but because two wanted to continue receiving classes in spite of already to have approved.

Returning to the chair of Veterinary medicine we say that before the repeated orders Sans Rock so that it was provided with a professor adapted to the corresponding chair, the 10 of December of 1873 the Ministry of Justice comisionó to Jose M. González de Arriaga, Argentine Consul in Cadiz, Spain, so that it contracted Don Manuel Patiño and Fuentes like Professor of Veterinary medicine and Rural Hygiene.

?Mr. Cónsul:
I go to V.S requesting to him its cooperation in a subject that is related to the promotion of the professional education of Agronomy in the Republic.
This Ministry practices diligences to equip with professors to the established Agronómicos Departments in the National Schools of Mendoza, Salta and Tucumán, and the Professor of Veterinary medicine, D. Manuel resident Patiño and Fuentes in Conil have been indicated him, province of Cadiz, like very competent carrying out the Chair of Veterinary medicine and Rural Hygiene in one of the mentioned Departments of Agronomy.
The Government has had knowledge of which Mr. Patiño and Fuentes is determined to accept the indicated Chair under the bases of which the monthly pay of 120 pesos strong is paid to him, and that pays for its tralación to him with its family from Cadiz to Buenos Aires and from this city to the point that is designated to him.
Solved the Government to confer to Mr. Patiño and Fuentes the education of these subjets in the Department Agronómico de Salta, comisiona to V.S so that after knowing the aptitudes and other conditions of that Professor, as much in view of his professional title as of the references that V.S can obtain he serves to assure to him, in name of the Government who will devengará the expressed monthly pay from the day in which he undertakes his trip. It is left V.S authorized to advance to Mr. Patiño and Fuentes up to three mensualidades of his pay turning his amount against this Ministry.
With this date I go to S.E the E.E and Minister Plenipotenciario of the Argentine Republic in France Mr. D. Mariano Balcarce, transcribing to him this note and requesting to him that he provides to V.S the necessary passages for the transfering of the referred Professor and its family in one of the steam that have privilege of the Government.
Hoping that V.S will carry out with the fervor that it has credited the commission that is conferred to him, I am pleased to greet it kindly ". It signed Juan C. Albarracín. (it will continue)

Published in Magazine of Veterinary Medicine, volume 80, number 4, 1999, ps. 345-6.

 

 

Author:

Osvaldo Antonio Perez Veterinary doctor, UBA Lawyer in History, USAL Professor of History, USAL to oaperez@sinectis.com.ar Association Argentina de Historia of the Veterinary medicine http://webs.sinectis.com.ar/oaperez http://www.asarhive.com.ar

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