José Pereira Rego was born in the city of Rio de Janeiro on August 24, 1816, to Manoel José Pereira Rego and Anna Fausta de Almeida Rego. Keeping his medical bloodline alive, his own progeny, José Pereira Rego Filho (1845-1929), was also a physician and Full Member of the Academia Nacional de Medicina (National Academy of Medicine – ANM).
He studied at the College of Medicine of Rio de Janeiro, of which he graduated from in 1838 after defending a final paper named “Phenomena Obtained through Several Methods of Exploring the Heart and Applying the same Phenomena to Diagnose Certain More Frequent Illnesses of the same Organ” – which summarized that time’s most advanced studies on semiology of the cardiovascular system and later served as a compendium for students of Clinical Medicine.
Elected as a Full Member of the Imperial Academy of Medicine in 1839, upon submitting a final paper called “Dysentery,” his inauguration ceremony took place on March 26, 1840, after which time, in 1883, he was appointed as a Permanent President of the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Furthermore, Dr. Pereira Rego was granted the titles of Honorary Physician of the Brazilian Empire’s Royal Imperial Chamber as well as receiving the Imperial Order of Christ and the Imperial Order of the Rose, both in the rank of Commander. He was decorated as the Barão do Lavradio (Baron of Lavradio) in 1874 in recognition of his arduous efforts in planning and running sanitary measures to help end the yellow fever epidemic that plagued the city of Rio de Janeiro. In 1877, in turn, Princess Isabel commended the Baron with a title of eminence.
The Baron of Lavradio became the first surgeon to recommend the use of ergot of rye for the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage. In the realm of public health, he composed the Junta Central de Higiene Pública (Public Hygiene Central Board) and treated patients of the first outbreak of cholera that occurred in Rio de Janeiro in 1855. A couple of years later, due to the death of Francisco de Paula Cândido, who at the time was the President of the Board, he was appointed as President and proceeded to chair the institution from 1864 to 1881.
When the second outbreak of the disease unfolded in 1867, Pereira Rego thoroughly described the event and the spread of cholera and yellow fever. In these reports, he suggested that the Imperial Government revamp the country’s terrestrial and maritime sanitary services, as well as introduce measures to improve the city’s sanitary conditions. This led him to take on the positions of Inspector of Port Health (ship sanitation) of Rio de Janeiro in 1865 and General Inspector of the Instituto Vacínico Municipal (Municipal Vaccination Institute) in 1873.
Following a fall-out with Emperor Pedro II, in 1881 he decided to resign from all three public positions he held, deciding, in turn, to dedicate himself to the field of pediatrics. Under this role, he worked at Rio de Janeiro’s Santa Casa da Misericórdia General Hospital, during which time he wrote the “Formulary of Children’s Diseases.” In addition, Dr. Pereira Rego served as a Town Councilor at the Rio de Janeiro City Council from 1865 to 1868.
He then received the title of Commander of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa of Portugal from the King of Portugal in 1870. Furthermore, he was awarded the honors of Commander of the Order of Christ, the Imperial Order of the Rose, and the Austrian Order of Franz Joseph.
To further add to his already brilliant resume, Dr. Pereira Rego was a Member of the Brazilian Historic and Geographical Institute (IHGB), a Member of the Fiscal Council of the Instituto Fluminense de Agricultura (Imperial Fluminense Institute of Agriculture), and a Member of 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.
Also, he held the distinctions of Honorary Member of, and Advisor to, the Sociedade Amante da Instrução (Society for the Promotion of Education), which he chaired for six years, and was one of the Founding Members of the Brazilian Homeopathic Medical Association. Moreover, he was appointed as a Correspondent Member of the Royal Medical Academy of Sciences of Lisbon, Portugal, the Société Française de Hygiène (French Society of Hygiene) and the Reale Accademia di Medicina di Torino (Royal Academy of Medicine of Torino, Italy).
Throughout his career, the renowned physician and scholar published numerous papers and articles, most of them comprising the Imperial Academy of Medicine’s – today, the Annals of the Academia Nacional de Medicina (National Academy of Medicine – ANM). Last, but certainly not least, the Baron of Lavradio is, to this day, considered the founding father of Brazilian sanitarians.
Dr. José Pereira Rego, the Baron of Lavradio, passed away in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro on November 22, 1892, due to complications from cancer cachexia (“esophageal ulcer”).
Acad. Francisco Sampaio
Academic number: 54
Chair: 07
Chair honored: 07
Member: Titular
Section: Medicina
Election: 12/03/1840
Inauguration: 26/03/1840
President: Francisco de Paula Cândido
Death: 22/11/1892
Academic number: 54
Chair: 07
Chair honored: 07
Member: Titular
Section: Medicina
Election: 12/03/1840
Inauguration: 26/03/1840
President: Francisco de Paula Cândido
Death: 22/11/1892
José Pereira Rego was born in the city of Rio de Janeiro on August 24, 1816, to Manoel José Pereira Rego and Anna Fausta de Almeida Rego. Keeping his medical bloodline alive, his own progeny, José Pereira Rego Filho (1845-1929), was also a physician and Full Member of the Academia Nacional de Medicina (National Academy of Medicine – ANM).
He studied at the College of Medicine of Rio de Janeiro, of which he graduated from in 1838 after defending a final paper named “Phenomena Obtained through Several Methods of Exploring the Heart and Applying the same Phenomena to Diagnose Certain More Frequent Illnesses of the same Organ” – which summarized that time’s most advanced studies on semiology of the cardiovascular system and later served as a compendium for students of Clinical Medicine.
Elected as a Full Member of the Imperial Academy of Medicine in 1839, upon submitting a final paper called “Dysentery,” his inauguration ceremony took place on March 26, 1840, after which time, in 1883, he was appointed as a Permanent President of the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Furthermore, Dr. Pereira Rego was granted the titles of Honorary Physician of the Brazilian Empire’s Royal Imperial Chamber as well as receiving the Imperial Order of Christ and the Imperial Order of the Rose, both in the rank of Commander. He was decorated as the Barão do Lavradio (Baron of Lavradio) in 1874 in recognition of his arduous efforts in planning and running sanitary measures to help end the yellow fever epidemic that plagued the city of Rio de Janeiro. In 1877, in turn, Princess Isabel commended the Baron with a title of eminence.
The Baron of Lavradio became the first surgeon to recommend the use of ergot of rye for the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage. In the realm of public health, he composed the Junta Central de Higiene Pública (Public Hygiene Central Board) and treated patients of the first outbreak of cholera that occurred in Rio de Janeiro in 1855. A couple of years later, due to the death of Francisco de Paula Cândido, who at the time was the President of the Board, he was appointed as President and proceeded to chair the institution from 1864 to 1881.
When the second outbreak of the disease unfolded in 1867, Pereira Rego thoroughly described the event and the spread of cholera and yellow fever. In these reports, he suggested that the Imperial Government revamp the country’s terrestrial and maritime sanitary services, as well as introduce measures to improve the city’s sanitary conditions. This led him to take on the positions of Inspector of Port Health (ship sanitation) of Rio de Janeiro in 1865 and General Inspector of the Instituto Vacínico Municipal (Municipal Vaccination Institute) in 1873.
Following a fall-out with Emperor Pedro II, in 1881 he decided to resign from all three public positions he held, deciding, in turn, to dedicate himself to the field of pediatrics. Under this role, he worked at Rio de Janeiro’s Santa Casa da Misericórdia General Hospital, during which time he wrote the “Formulary of Children’s Diseases.” In addition, Dr. Pereira Rego served as a Town Councilor at the Rio de Janeiro City Council from 1865 to 1868.
He then received the title of Commander of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa of Portugal from the King of Portugal in 1870. Furthermore, he was awarded the honors of Commander of the Order of Christ, the Imperial Order of the Rose, and the Austrian Order of Franz Joseph.
To further add to his already brilliant resume, Dr. Pereira Rego was a Member of the Brazilian Historic and Geographical Institute (IHGB), a Member of the Fiscal Council of the Instituto Fluminense de Agricultura (Imperial Fluminense Institute of Agriculture), and a Member of 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.
Also, he held the distinctions of Honorary Member of, and Advisor to, the Sociedade Amante da Instrução (Society for the Promotion of Education), which he chaired for six years, and was one of the Founding Members of the Brazilian Homeopathic Medical Association. Moreover, he was appointed as a Correspondent Member of the Royal Medical Academy of Sciences of Lisbon, Portugal, the Société Française de Hygiène (French Society of Hygiene) and the Reale Accademia di Medicina di Torino (Royal Academy of Medicine of Torino, Italy).
Throughout his career, the renowned physician and scholar published numerous papers and articles, most of them comprising the Imperial Academy of Medicine’s – today, the Annals of the Academia Nacional de Medicina (National Academy of Medicine – ANM). Last, but certainly not least, the Baron of Lavradio is, to this day, considered the founding father of Brazilian sanitarians.
Dr. José Pereira Rego, the Baron of Lavradio, passed away in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro on November 22, 1892, due to complications from cancer cachexia (“esophageal ulcer”).
Acad. Francisco Sampaio