Joaquín L. Dueñas Pinto

He was born in La Habana, his father was the illustrious educator don Joaquín Andrés de Dueñas.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1873 and in 1878 obtained the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. He received his Licentiate two years later and in the month of December 1881 he earned his degree of Doctor of Medicine and Surgery.

From the moment of his graduation, doctor Dueñas initiated extensive scientific work that he maintained throughout his life.

During the first years as a physician he was particularly interested in the study of Neurology, contributing with various important contributions to this branch of medicine. He also conducted studies on certain dental topics and demonstrated a keen interest in Anthropology. In this field his work: "Facial Resemblances" was favorably commented on by various national and foreign authorities, and among the latter we must cite the distinguished French scholar Charles Richet.

By the year 1884 doctor Dueñas began to take an interest in the study of infectious diseases in which he would later achieve particular scientific prominence.

From 1891 onwards his works were directed almost exclusively toward the field of pediatrics, continuing his most brilliant observations on infectious diseases and making repeated contributions to the always important topic of infantile diarrhea. Doctor Dueñas also occupied himself with infant feeding in the tropics: with pyelitis, pleurisies, the etiology of infantile tuberculosis, etc.

Among his most brilliant publications should be highlighted his work on the relationship between scurvy and refractory pernicious anemias in children. This topic, ladies and gentlemen, has been revived in recent years by the interesting works of D'Amato, in Italy and of Suelzer and May, in the USA, which have demonstrated that, indeed, vitamin C deficiency intervenes in the production of megaloblastic anemias in children.

The scope of doctor Dueñas's publications is perfectly demonstrated by the type of journals in which many of his works appeared, being a regular collaborator of the Archives of Pediatrics of New York and the Archives of Pediatrics of Buenos Aires. Many of his local publications that appeared in the Medical Surgical Chronicle, Cuban Medical Journal and Journal of Medicine and Surgery, were reproduced or commented on by various American and European authorities.

His scientific reputation was consolidated when in the year 1907 he was selected to develop the chapters on Dengue and Glanders in the Encyclopedic Treatise of Pediatrics by Pfaundler and Schlossmann. This contribution by doctor Dueñas was of extraordinary value and it can be said that the chapters written by him constitute true jewels of Pediatric Clinic even today.

The scientific enthusiasm of Joaquín Dueñas was not limited to the publication of numerous works and the presentation of a considerable number of lectures; he also carried out extraordinarily active work in various scientific societies and also contributed to the development of various medical journals. He was a prominent member of the Anthropological Society of Cuba and of the Society of Clinical Studies of La Habana, holding in the latter the position of Secretary, to which he was reelected on two occasions.

His scientific personality transcended the limits of the national pediatric field. He was a speaker at various international congresses and held in almost all of them positions of president or secretary of the pediatrics sections.

Apart from the acceptance of his works in the main foreign journals and having been selected as a collaborator of the Pfaundler and Schlossmann Encyclopedia, facts already noted, his international reputation was confirmed by various honors that were justifiably conferred upon him. Doctor Dueñas was appointed collaborator of the Italian Archives of Pediatrics by professor Soma, its director; he was invited to participate in the Meeting of the American Medical Association, in Boston, in the year 1906, and to close with a flourish this brilliant record he was elected regular member of the Pediatric Society of Paris a few weeks before his death.

His extraordinary competence in the important field of Epidemiology is illustrated by a long list of contributions: his brilliant concepts on the prevailing fevers presented at the memorable session of August 17, 1893 to Clinical Studies preceded by several months the works of Achard and Besaudé on paratyphoid fevers. His brilliant monograph on the diagnosis of yellow fever is a valuable contribution to the study of said disease. Doctor Dueñas also pointed out the drawbacks of the exaggerated use of quinine, which prevailed in that era. Due to his great capacity in the epidemiological field he was called to serve on the National Board of Health and selected in the USA as a member of the American Yellow Fever Commission, presided over by Colonel Lee.

His work in the practice of the profession was very active and distinguished. During his years of exile in the USA, he obtained the license to practice the profession in the state of Florida first and then in Pennsylvania.

Upon returning to his homeland, in addition to the demand of attending a large clientele, doctor Dueñas held various positions in public services. He was physician at Las Ánimas hospital in 1899 and 1900. Visiting Physician of the Industrial School of La Habana for orphaned children, of the Children's Ward of Hospital No 1 and of the "Tamayo" Clinic.

Due to his great scientific and professional prestige he was called on various occasions to serve on panels for the provision of chairs or the awarding of prizes at the University of La Habana.

To complete such an extensive record of service and demonstrating once again his condition as a superior man who advanced ahead of his time in knowledge, doctor Dueñas contributed in a most important way to the formation of the first Medical College in our country and was properly concerned with the social problems of childhood, as demonstrated by his work in the School Medical Inspection Service of La Habana.

As a politician he was a patriot with liberal ideas, he was exemplary as head of family, a loving husband and a most affectionate father. In the practice of his profession he was an impeccable colleague and a diligent worker.

From all this prolific and fruitful work it follows that we must agree with doctor Grande Rossi that "Dueñas did not possess one quality that stood out above the others for all were equally remarkable in the illustrious specialist".

The premature death of Dueñas at what was perhaps the most active stage of his scientific life was an irreparable loss for Cuban pediatrics, as stated in an oration to his memory by doctor Jesús Alfredo Figueras, our classmate, to the Society of Clinical Studies of La Habana in April of 1911: "The children of Cuba have lost their best friend, Cuban medicine is in mourning".

We spoke a few moments ago of what could be called the exceptional conditions that doctor Dueñas fulfilled as a father within his distinguished family; from this results a palpable demonstration of the terrible impression that his spirit received, coming to crush all these special conditions previously exposed of his limitless capacity, was when in the year 1905 he had the misfortune of losing his only son, already at the moment he received the degree of Civil Engineer from our National University.

It was observed how in that period of about two years his scientific production ceased suddenly, but a man of struggle, he was able to recover from such terrible pain by seeking in work and scientific production a balm for such terrible sorrow.

After this circumstance which we highlight as a brilliant condition of his character, doctor Dueñas was to achieve his highest honors, realizing the golden dream of his entire life, being selected to serve on the Pediatric Society of Paris. It is after this glorious journey, in the year 1910, that he returns to his homeland albeit laden with honors, but already wounded unto death, succumbing sadly to all in December of 1910 at the age of 51.

It is necessary therefore to conceive the medical history of doctor Joaquín L. Dueñas, first by his not yet definitive dedication toward Pediatric Clinic and in which his neurological works were important, such as for example: "The Brain Before Modern Science", "Are the Volume and Shape of the Brain Always in Relation to the Degree of Intelligence of the Individual?", "Aphasia", "Facial Resemblances", etc. Another phase frankly of epidemiological study and work that clarifies among us mistaken concepts such as for example his contribution to the clinical study of infantile diarrhea, his monograph on paratyphoid fevers, "On the Prevailing Fevers", his study on infantile tuberculosis and its diagnosis, those exclusively directed at modifying the diet of the child in our country: "The Feeding of Children in Cuba"; alongside the already mentioned nutritional deficiencies as we have already explained; when considering his study on Barlow's diseases; all of this of importance is true that relative in relation to the present moment, but some that laid the foundations and gave, from the outset, to his personality all the importance that he acquired not only in our country, but abroad.