Agustín Encinoso de Abreu Reyes Gavilán

One of the most eminent personalities of his time for his vast erudition and scientific spirit.

Professor of Pathology and Physiology at the Royal and Pontifical University of La Habana, he was a true innovator in medical education, as he was the first to propose replacing Latin as the language of instruction with the vernacular language, Spanish.

Regarding his performance as a professor, the last of Prima (Physiology) at the University, no qualification better than that of doctor Ramón Zambrana, who stated that in his subjects, Pathology and Physiology, La Habana had never possessed "neither a more persuasive voice nor a clearer and more fruitful intelligence." He was the most eloquent professor the Pontifical University ever had and the boldest in the work of incorporating new medical doctrines.

Unfortunately, his multiple occupations and attention to his private business did not allow him to dedicate himself further to the function of training physicians. This is evident in the study certificates issued to students, in which the signature of his substitute appears repeatedly.

He was born in San Agustín de la Florida. His birthplace was circumstantial, as his parents Francisco Encinoso de Abreu, lawyer of the Royal Audience and Chancellery of Mexico and Santo Domingo, and María Josefa de la Luz Reyes Gavilán, both Cuban, were passing through that city at the time, where they named him José Agustín Víctor Melitón.

Very young, he moved with his parents to La Habana and in 1813 he began to study Philosophy at the Seminary College of San Carlos with professors Félix Varela and Nicolás M. de Escovedo.

He graduated as Bachelor of Arts on May 25, 1816 before the judges Luis Hidalgo Gato, Antonio de Guzmán and Simón Vicente de Hevia.

In 1815 he had begun to study Medicine with the professors Antonio Viera and Bernardo J. Riesgo in Prima; Pablo Marín in Vísperas; Antonio J. Machado in Anatomy and Simón V. de Hevia in Methodo. He graduated as Bachelor of Medicine on August 1, 1818. His examiners were José de J. Méndez, Tomás Romay, José A. Bernal, Marcos Sánchez Rubio, Pedro Andreu, Simón V. de Hevia, Pablo Marín and Ángel J. Cowley. He completed his interstitial period with doctor Simón V. de Hevia between May 1, 1818 and June 2, 1820 and was admitted by the Tribunal of the Protomedicato to practice Medicine on January 27, 1821.

Upon doctor Pablo Marín's resignation in 1820 from his chair of Vísperas, edicts were posted to fill it again. Abreu presented himself as a candidate along with other opponents such as the licentiate Antonio del Noval and the bachelors Gaspar Z. de los Reyes, Ildefonso Sánchez, Domingo Rosaín and Ángel Pilar Manzano. The aforementioned competitions were registered among the most celebrated of the University and among those of greatest significance in the history of medical education. It was on that occasion that Abreu first proposed that lessons should be read and defended in Spanish and not in Latin as had been done until then. The exercises began, not without del Noval first requiring that they be conducted in Latin. Manzano, de los Reyes and Sánchez withdrew before the start of the exercises, so only del Noval, Rosaín and Abreu remained as opponents. The first defended his Latin thesis Morbis epidemici peculiarem habet genium ei morbis ejusdem generis diversum; the second read his in Spanish titled The causes of diseases must be investigated both in solids and in fluids and the third, titled The alteration that organic sensibility experiences is what constitutes the essence and principle of inflammations, was also defended in Spanish. Although the Prosecutor expressed opposition to the fact that 2 of the theses had not been debated in Latin as had been stipulated since 1422, the Tribunal chose by majority vote Abreu as the winner and, consequently, as deserving of the chair, which he took possession of on June 21, 1822. Unable to go against a legal provision that authorized the use of Spanish in the competitions, del Noval resorted to the trick of contesting them, on the pretext that the winner had not completed 2 years of interstitial period. This originated a lawsuit in which his brother, the lawyer Francisco Encinoso de Abreu, acted as legal representative of the affected party.

In his reply brief, he stated that the litigation was a "fatal provision to which the University of La Habana seems forever condemned to be reduced" and immediately denounced the irregularities of doctor Manuel Ramírez Gallo, Prosecutor of the University and brother-in-law of del Noval. The ruling was favorable to Abreu, who continued in the performance of his chair. With the verdict, what was the true motive of the challenge was also safeguarded: that teaching could be conducted in Spanish.

As a professor, he obtained his Licentiate and Doctorate in Medicine on July 4 and September 1, 1822, respectively.

From the time he assumed the chair of Pathology, the subject made great scientific progress, as he dominated the most modern texts on that subject in his era. He was the first to propagate the doctrine of Broussais, of which he was a fervent supporter.

Upon completing his first six-year term as professor, he presented himself again for competition. This time he had José de la Luz Hernández as his opponent, and he read his lesson in Latin titled Omnez tuberculi struma net no ám etiat cuiuscumque partis hepatizationis ad super irritatione cronica germinare videntur, in which he dealt with a question of practical Medicine. The tribunal, composed of doctors Tomás Romay, Lorenzo Hernández, Pablo Marín, Gabriel Morales, Nicolás J. Gutiérrez and Vicente Pérez Infante, unanimously awarded him the chair, which he took possession of on January 29, 1829.

When his second six-year term at the chair of Pathology ended in 1834, the chair of Physiology became vacant due to the death of doctor Antonio Viera. Together with doctors Pedro Hobruitiner and Manuel R. Blanco Solano and bachelors Francisco de Paula Serrano, José de la Luz Hernández and José González Morillas, he competed for what was undoubtedly the most important of the chairs and the one that conferred the most prestige on physicians for their private practice. Although the exercises were conducted in Latin, it can be asserted that they were the most brilliant competitions held at the Pontifical University, given the quality of the theses presented there and because all the competitors demonstrated the most modern knowledge of Physiology.

The Tribunal of these competitions, composed of doctor Tomás Romay as Royal Assistant and doctors José Pérez Bohorques, Nicolás J. Gutiérrez, Fernando González del Valle and Ángel J. Cowley, unanimously granted doctor Abreu the chair, which he took possession of on December 15, 1834. Regarding his performance in it, Cowley said that "it produced a notable advancement by introducing the most modern texts of Physiology, among them those of Bichat, Zimmermann, Richerand and Magendie to replace Dumas's small manual."

He died on November 23, 1854 from a hepatic condition. With his death, the University lost, not only a professor endowed with easy and elegant speech, with which he clothed his classes in such a fascinating form that he made his lessons models of diction and good taste, but a true innovator of medical education in Cuba.