Francisco Freire Allemão Cisneiros was born in the municipality of Nossa Senhora do Desterro do Campo Grande at Mendanha Farm, in what is now Rio de Janeiro’s West Zone on July 24, 1797, to farmers João Freire Allemão and Feliciana Angélico do Espírito Santo.
He began pursuing religious studies and quickly became a sexton since he lacked the proper funds to fully commit to a life in the sciences. Under the tutorship of Father Luis Pereira Duarte, he learned Latin grammar and a host of languages such as French, English, Spanish, Hebrew, and Latin. However, he ultimately decided to leave the priesthood behind and instead started teaching private lessons to earn a living. His older brother, Antonio Freire Allemão de Cisneiros, who was in his second year of studies at the Rio de Janeiro Academy of Medicine and Surgery, offered to help him financially, so in 1822, Francisco Freire Allemão enrolled at the institution and earned his diploma in surgery in 1827.
At the invitation of the French government, he started attending the University of Paris under the guidance of chemist Jean Baptiste Dumas and naturalist Georges Léopold Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert, the Baron Cuvier. Freire Allemão successfully concluded his doctorate studies at the institution in 1831, after defending a thesis titled “Dissertation sur le goitre” (“Dissertation on Gaiter”). Shortly after returning to Brazil, he was approved to fulfill the role of Full Professor in the subject of Botany and Elements of Zoology in 1833.
In 1832, Dr. Freire Allemão would go on to become a Full Member of the Medical Society of Rio de Janeiro, officially taking office on May 19 of the same year. He served as President of the institution in the 3rd quarter of that year, and of the Imperial Academy of Medicine from 1838 to 1839. His final paper submitted to the Academy’s appreciation was titled “Use of Sodium Preparations in the Treatment of Coiter” – at the time, an innovative subject.
In 1840, the physician was designated as a Physician of the Royal Imperial Chamber and later successfully managed to cure Emperor Pedro II of a potentially life-threatening cerebral congestion. Three years later, in 1843, he joined an Imperial task force entrusted with the mission of attending to Princess Dona Teresa Christina’s, the bride of Emperor Pedro II, arrival to Rio de Janeiro from Naples, Italy. Later, he was designated to tutor Princess Isabel and Princess Leopoldina in the subject of botany.
A Member of His Majesty’s Council, in addition to being bestowed the titles of the Order of the Rose in the rank of Commander and the Royal Order of Francis I of the Kingdom of Naples, also in the rank of Commander, he was a Lecturer at the Escola Central’s (Central School – now, the Polytechnic School of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ) Division of Physical and Natural Sciences.
Furthermore, he composed several professional associations and medical societies such as the Brazilian Historic and Geographical Institute (IHGB); the Sociedade Auxiliadora da Indústria Nacional (Auxiliar Society of the National Industry), a civil society of private law aimed at fostering growth of the Brazilian Empire; and the Philomatic Society. In addition, he was granted the title of Honorary Member of the Imperial Instituto Médico Fluminense (State of Rio de Janeiro Imperial Medical Institute).
To further add to his vast and impressive accomplishments, Dr. Freire Allemão founded and presided over Rio de Janeiro’s botanical Sociedade Velosiana de Ciências Naturais (Velosian Society of Natural Sciences), and in 1874, chaired the Botany and Zoology Commission of the Pharmaceutical Institute of the same city. After describing numerous plants and labeling another host of genera, he became one of Brazil’s most prominent naturalists and botanists in the 19th century. As a consequence, in 1866 he was appointed as Head of the Imperial Museum of Brazil, a position he held until 1870, even though bouts of illness made him occasionally take absences of leave.
Dr. Francisco Freire de Allemão Cisneiros passed away at the age of 77 on his parents’ former property, on November 11, 1874.
Acad. Francisco Sampaio
Academic number: 27
Chair: 43
Chair honored: 43
Member: Titular
Section: Medicina
Election: 19/05/1832
Inauguration: 19/05/1832
President: José Francisco Xavier Sigaud
Division (Patron): Medicina
Death: 11/11/1874
Academic number: 27
Chair: 43
Chair honored: 43
Member: Titular
Section: Medicina
Election: 19/05/1832
Inauguration: 19/05/1832
President: José Francisco Xavier Sigaud
Division (Patron): Medicina
Death: 11/11/1874
Francisco Freire Allemão Cisneiros was born in the municipality of Nossa Senhora do Desterro do Campo Grande at Mendanha Farm, in what is now Rio de Janeiro’s West Zone on July 24, 1797, to farmers João Freire Allemão and Feliciana Angélico do Espírito Santo.
He began pursuing religious studies and quickly became a sexton since he lacked the proper funds to fully commit to a life in the sciences. Under the tutorship of Father Luis Pereira Duarte, he learned Latin grammar and a host of languages such as French, English, Spanish, Hebrew, and Latin. However, he ultimately decided to leave the priesthood behind and instead started teaching private lessons to earn a living. His older brother, Antonio Freire Allemão de Cisneiros, who was in his second year of studies at the Rio de Janeiro Academy of Medicine and Surgery, offered to help him financially, so in 1822, Francisco Freire Allemão enrolled at the institution and earned his diploma in surgery in 1827.
At the invitation of the French government, he started attending the University of Paris under the guidance of chemist Jean Baptiste Dumas and naturalist Georges Léopold Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert, the Baron Cuvier. Freire Allemão successfully concluded his doctorate studies at the institution in 1831, after defending a thesis titled “Dissertation sur le goitre” (“Dissertation on Gaiter”). Shortly after returning to Brazil, he was approved to fulfill the role of Full Professor in the subject of Botany and Elements of Zoology in 1833.
In 1832, Dr. Freire Allemão would go on to become a Full Member of the Medical Society of Rio de Janeiro, officially taking office on May 19 of the same year. He served as President of the institution in the 3rd quarter of that year, and of the Imperial Academy of Medicine from 1838 to 1839. His final paper submitted to the Academy’s appreciation was titled “Use of Sodium Preparations in the Treatment of Coiter” – at the time, an innovative subject.
In 1840, the physician was designated as a Physician of the Royal Imperial Chamber and later successfully managed to cure Emperor Pedro II of a potentially life-threatening cerebral congestion. Three years later, in 1843, he joined an Imperial task force entrusted with the mission of attending to Princess Dona Teresa Christina’s, the bride of Emperor Pedro II, arrival to Rio de Janeiro from Naples, Italy. Later, he was designated to tutor Princess Isabel and Princess Leopoldina in the subject of botany.
A Member of His Majesty’s Council, in addition to being bestowed the titles of the Order of the Rose in the rank of Commander and the Royal Order of Francis I of the Kingdom of Naples, also in the rank of Commander, he was a Lecturer at the Escola Central’s (Central School – now, the Polytechnic School of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ) Division of Physical and Natural Sciences.
Furthermore, he composed several professional associations and medical societies such as the Brazilian Historic and Geographical Institute (IHGB); the Sociedade Auxiliadora da Indústria Nacional (Auxiliar Society of the National Industry), a civil society of private law aimed at fostering growth of the Brazilian Empire; and the Philomatic Society. In addition, he was granted the title of Honorary Member of the Imperial Instituto Médico Fluminense (State of Rio de Janeiro Imperial Medical Institute).
To further add to his vast and impressive accomplishments, Dr. Freire Allemão founded and presided over Rio de Janeiro’s botanical Sociedade Velosiana de Ciências Naturais (Velosian Society of Natural Sciences), and in 1874, chaired the Botany and Zoology Commission of the Pharmaceutical Institute of the same city. After describing numerous plants and labeling another host of genera, he became one of Brazil’s most prominent naturalists and botanists in the 19th century. As a consequence, in 1866 he was appointed as Head of the Imperial Museum of Brazil, a position he held until 1870, even though bouts of illness made him occasionally take absences of leave.
Dr. Francisco Freire de Allemão Cisneiros passed away at the age of 77 on his parents’ former property, on November 11, 1874.
Acad. Francisco Sampaio