The son of surgeon Manoel Soares de Meirelles and Anna Joaquina de São Meirelles, Joaquim Candido Soares de Meirelles was born on November 5, 1797, in Congonhas de Sabará, later renamed Nova Lima, in the State of Minas Gerais. His family’s bloodline went all the way back to Portugal’s Emperor Dom Fernando (1345-1383). Soares de Meirelles married Rita Maria Pereira Reis, the daughter of surgeon Paulo Rodrigues Pereira and sister of Dr. Jacintho Rodrigues Pereira Reis, who additionally served as President of the Imperial Academy of Medicine.
They fathered Councilor Saturnino Soares de Meirelles, a Physician and Professor at the Brazilian Navy and the Pedro II School, in addition to founding the homeopathy focused Hahnemanniano Institute of Brazil in 1859; Nicomedes Rodrigues Soares de Meirelles, also a physician; Jacinto Rodrigues Soares de Meirelles, a navy officer; and Candido Rodrigues Soares de Meirelles, holder of a doctorate degree in mathematics. His second wife was Maria Candida Marianna Vahya, who gave birth to Luisa Candida Soares de Meirelles.
In 1822, Soares de Meirelles led the Comissão de Patriotas (Patriots Commission) that influenced Emperor Dom Pedro I’s decision to stay in Brazil, referred to as the “Dia do Fico”, at which time he stated, “I Shall Stay” (in Brazil). He began his military career in the Armed Forces of the Empire of Brazil, starting as an apprentice, then rising to the rank of Assistant Surgeon of the Batalhão de Caçadores (Brazilian Cavalry), and finally, to Chief Surgeon of the State of Minas Gerais Cavalry.
Shortly after returning to Brazil, he officially handed over his position at the Army on July 14, 1828, and went on to work at the Hospital da Misericórdia, nowadays the Santa Casa da Misericórdia General Hospital of Rio de Janeiro, in a ward chaired by Italian physician Luiz Vicente de Simoni. There, he came up with the idea of establishing a Medical Society that was promptly joined by a slew of other prominent doctors in the likes of José Martins da Cruz Jobim, José Francisco Xavier Sigaud, and Jean Maurice Faivre, in addition to the aforementioned Dr. de Simoni.
The first preliminary session of the Medical Society of Rio de Janeiro took place on May 28, 1829, while on June 30 of that same year, Dr. Soares de Almeida was voted President of the institution. He was additionally granted the titles of Full Member number 1, Founding Member and Ex Officio Member. Passed thanks to a Marques of Caravelas (José Joaquim Carneiro de Campos)-issued decree on February 15, 1830, the Society was officially inaugurated on April 24, 1830, at the São Francisco de Paula Hospital, and during the tenure of its first elected President, the plan to change the institution from a Society to an Academy came to light in November 1833.
Two years later, during the organization’s sixth anniversary session held in 1835, Emperor Dom Pedro II, then aged nine, attended the event, and on November 5, 1835, the Society was officially renamed the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Dr. Soares de Meirelles presided over the Medical Society of Rio de Janeiro for the 1829-1830 term as well as in 1833. Under the newly established name of the Imperial Academy of Medicine, he chaired the institution from 1835 to 1838, and from 1842 to 1848.
Soares de Meirelles’ life was filled with adventures and political endeavors. This included participation in the 1842 Liberals rebellion in Minas Gerais, and an arrest and consequent deportation to Lisbon, Portugal, where he remained until a May 14, 1844-issued amnesty. Upon returning to Brazil, he was given back all his titles and honors. The physician then changed his political views and was consequently rewarded with the title of Physician at the Royal Imperial Chamber and Member of the Council of His Imperial Majesty Dom Pedro. Furthermore, Dr. Soares de Meirelles was commended with the Imperial Order of the Rose, the Order of the Southern Cross badge, the Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz, and with a medal celebrating the rendition of the Paraguayan Army during the Siege of Uruguaiana.
The lauded physician and politician was also appointed as a Member of the Provincial Assembly of Rio de Janeiro for one term, as well as a Congressman at the General Assembly of the Province – now State – of Minas Gerais in 1845, 1847 and 1848. Also, he held the positions of Professor of Anatomy and Physiology of the Passions at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts; Full Member of the Brazilian Historic and Geographic Institute (IHGB); Member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Naples, Italy; and Member of both the Medical Society of Louvain, Belgium; and the Philomatic Society of Paris, France.
To further add to Dr. Soares de Meirelles’ impressive titles and positions, he worked as an editor for the State of Rio de Janeiro Medical Journal and was designated as Chief Surgeon of the Navy of the Empire of Brazil in the rank of Commander-in-Chief, and later on, was promoted to the role of Health Director of the Navy.
On July 10, 1865, he headed to the city of Uruguaiana together with Emperor Dom Pedro II to aid with the army’s theater strategy that led to Paraguay’s surrender. The trip, however, was not without its hardships since the physician was stricken with typhoid fever and, on the brink of death, was transferred to the city of Alegrete, from where he rejoined the Royal Court on May 2, 1866. Nevertheless, he would never fully recover from the illness.
With his health increasingly worsening, Dr. Joaquim Candido Soares de Meirelles passed away in the early hours of July 13, 1868, in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
On December 8, 1941, he was posthumously honored with the Patronship of Chair Number 8 of the Brazilian Academy of Military Medicine, whereas on October 3, 1963, he was lauded as the Patron of Chair Number 1 of the Academia Nacional de Medicina (National Academy of Medicine – ANM).
Also appointed as the Patron of the Navy Medical Corps through a federal decree issued on November 25, 1968, Dr. Soares de Meirelles’ date of birth is now honored as a special day at all Brazilian Navy medical institutions.
Acad. Francisco Sampaio
Academic number: 1
Chair: 01
Chair honored: 01
Member: Fundador
Section: Medicina
Election: 28/05/1829
Inauguration: 30/06/1829
President: Joaquim Candido Soares de Meirelles
Division (Patron): Medicina
Death: 13/07/1868
Academic number: 1
Chair: 01
Chair honored: 01
Member: Fundador
Section: Medicina
Election: 28/05/1829
Inauguration: 30/06/1829
President: Joaquim Candido Soares de Meirelles
Division (Patron): Medicina
Death: 13/07/1868
The son of surgeon Manoel Soares de Meirelles and Anna Joaquina de São Meirelles, Joaquim Candido Soares de Meirelles was born on November 5, 1797, in Congonhas de Sabará, later renamed Nova Lima, in the State of Minas Gerais. His family’s bloodline went all the way back to Portugal’s Emperor Dom Fernando (1345-1383). Soares de Meirelles married Rita Maria Pereira Reis, the daughter of surgeon Paulo Rodrigues Pereira and sister of Dr. Jacintho Rodrigues Pereira Reis, who additionally served as President of the Imperial Academy of Medicine.
They fathered Councilor Saturnino Soares de Meirelles, a Physician and Professor at the Brazilian Navy and the Pedro II School, in addition to founding the homeopathy focused Hahnemanniano Institute of Brazil in 1859; Nicomedes Rodrigues Soares de Meirelles, also a physician; Jacinto Rodrigues Soares de Meirelles, a navy officer; and Candido Rodrigues Soares de Meirelles, holder of a doctorate degree in mathematics. His second wife was Maria Candida Marianna Vahya, who gave birth to Luisa Candida Soares de Meirelles.
In 1822, Soares de Meirelles led the Comissão de Patriotas (Patriots Commission) that influenced Emperor Dom Pedro I’s decision to stay in Brazil, referred to as the “Dia do Fico”, at which time he stated, “I Shall Stay” (in Brazil). He began his military career in the Armed Forces of the Empire of Brazil, starting as an apprentice, then rising to the rank of Assistant Surgeon of the Batalhão de Caçadores (Brazilian Cavalry), and finally, to Chief Surgeon of the State of Minas Gerais Cavalry.
Shortly after returning to Brazil, he officially handed over his position at the Army on July 14, 1828, and went on to work at the Hospital da Misericórdia, nowadays the Santa Casa da Misericórdia General Hospital of Rio de Janeiro, in a ward chaired by Italian physician Luiz Vicente de Simoni. There, he came up with the idea of establishing a Medical Society that was promptly joined by a slew of other prominent doctors in the likes of José Martins da Cruz Jobim, José Francisco Xavier Sigaud, and Jean Maurice Faivre, in addition to the aforementioned Dr. de Simoni.
The first preliminary session of the Medical Society of Rio de Janeiro took place on May 28, 1829, while on June 30 of that same year, Dr. Soares de Almeida was voted President of the institution. He was additionally granted the titles of Full Member number 1, Founding Member and Ex Officio Member. Passed thanks to a Marques of Caravelas (José Joaquim Carneiro de Campos)-issued decree on February 15, 1830, the Society was officially inaugurated on April 24, 1830, at the São Francisco de Paula Hospital, and during the tenure of its first elected President, the plan to change the institution from a Society to an Academy came to light in November 1833.
Two years later, during the organization’s sixth anniversary session held in 1835, Emperor Dom Pedro II, then aged nine, attended the event, and on November 5, 1835, the Society was officially renamed the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Dr. Soares de Meirelles presided over the Medical Society of Rio de Janeiro for the 1829-1830 term as well as in 1833. Under the newly established name of the Imperial Academy of Medicine, he chaired the institution from 1835 to 1838, and from 1842 to 1848.
Soares de Meirelles’ life was filled with adventures and political endeavors. This included participation in the 1842 Liberals rebellion in Minas Gerais, and an arrest and consequent deportation to Lisbon, Portugal, where he remained until a May 14, 1844-issued amnesty. Upon returning to Brazil, he was given back all his titles and honors. The physician then changed his political views and was consequently rewarded with the title of Physician at the Royal Imperial Chamber and Member of the Council of His Imperial Majesty Dom Pedro. Furthermore, Dr. Soares de Meirelles was commended with the Imperial Order of the Rose, the Order of the Southern Cross badge, the Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz, and with a medal celebrating the rendition of the Paraguayan Army during the Siege of Uruguaiana.
The lauded physician and politician was also appointed as a Member of the Provincial Assembly of Rio de Janeiro for one term, as well as a Congressman at the General Assembly of the Province – now State – of Minas Gerais in 1845, 1847 and 1848. Also, he held the positions of Professor of Anatomy and Physiology of the Passions at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts; Full Member of the Brazilian Historic and Geographic Institute (IHGB); Member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Naples, Italy; and Member of both the Medical Society of Louvain, Belgium; and the Philomatic Society of Paris, France.
To further add to Dr. Soares de Meirelles’ impressive titles and positions, he worked as an editor for the State of Rio de Janeiro Medical Journal and was designated as Chief Surgeon of the Navy of the Empire of Brazil in the rank of Commander-in-Chief, and later on, was promoted to the role of Health Director of the Navy.
On July 10, 1865, he headed to the city of Uruguaiana together with Emperor Dom Pedro II to aid with the army’s theater strategy that led to Paraguay’s surrender. The trip, however, was not without its hardships since the physician was stricken with typhoid fever and, on the brink of death, was transferred to the city of Alegrete, from where he rejoined the Royal Court on May 2, 1866. Nevertheless, he would never fully recover from the illness.
With his health increasingly worsening, Dr. Joaquim Candido Soares de Meirelles passed away in the early hours of July 13, 1868, in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
On December 8, 1941, he was posthumously honored with the Patronship of Chair Number 8 of the Brazilian Academy of Military Medicine, whereas on October 3, 1963, he was lauded as the Patron of Chair Number 1 of the Academia Nacional de Medicina (National Academy of Medicine – ANM).
Also appointed as the Patron of the Navy Medical Corps through a federal decree issued on November 25, 1968, Dr. Soares de Meirelles’ date of birth is now honored as a special day at all Brazilian Navy medical institutions.
Acad. Francisco Sampaio