José Antonio Presno Bastiony

Surgeon. Founder of the Journal of Medicine and Surgery, for which he has been classified as one of the greatest promoters of Cuban medical culture, he was founder and director of the National Society of Surgery.

At twenty-six years of age he entered the Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of La Habana, as a Full Member. His tireless surgical work extended to several healthcare centers.

He was for fifty years, Professor; Minister of Health on two occasions; Rector of the University and Professor Emeritus of the same; President, several times reelected, and Member of Merit of the Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of La Habana; Corresponding Member of the Academies of Medicine of París, Madrid, Nueva York, Halle, México and Guatemala and Member of the Permanent International Committee of Surgery of Bruselas.

He was born in Regla and died in La Habana. He successfully completed his secondary education studies. In 1896 he received his diploma as a Licentiate in Medicine, and in 1897 his Doctor's degree, with the highest grades and extraordinary prizes of both degrees.

From the beginning of his career he demonstrated a decided vocation for Anatomy studies, which is why he received from the Faculty the appointment of Assistant to the Dissector, in 1894, a position he held until his graduation, in 1896.

From the union of the marriage of José Antonio Presno y Bastiony with María Albarrán, daughter of Dr. Pedro Albarrán Domínguez, would be born José Antonio Presno Albarrán (1916-1978), another glory of Cuban surgery.

During 1896, still as a student and in the midst of the war for liberation, he undertook the task of founding a scientific publication, in a truly adverse environment; thus emerged the Journal of Medicine and Surgery, which, in its more than 60 volumes, evidenced the educational work and publishing talents characteristic of its promoter. This work allows, without a doubt, classifying Presno as one of the greatest promoters of Cuban medical culture, alongside Doctors Nicolás José Gutiérrez and Juan Santos Fernández.

The same year he received his Doctor's degree, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Surgical Anatomy and Operations; in 1899, he was promoted to Supernumerary Auxiliary Professor, and in 1901 he obtained by examination the rank of Auxiliary Professor of Anatomy and the position of Chief of Anatomical Work. In the same way, in 1920 he achieved the position of Full Professor of Topographic Anatomy and Operations. When the Chair was split due to University Reform, in 1923, he again competed for the Chair of Operations with its Clinic, which later would receive the name of "Surgical Therapeutic Clinic".

Presno organized an Experimental Surgery room in the Hospital "Calixto García", intended for student practice on animals. He introduced the preservation of cadavers by formaldehyde in the study of anatomical technique and operations on the dead, about which he presented a communication at the Third Latin American Medical Congress, held in La Habana during 1901. That contribution radically transformed anatomical dissection in Cuba, and eliminated from it the real danger of infectious inoculation from anatomical puncture, of which he himself was a victim in his student days, and from which he survived thanks to the care of his teacher: Dr. Francisco Domínguez Roldán.

From his investigations on the cadaver would emerge many important works, and there were not a few specimens obtained for the Anatomical Museum as a result of his meticulous scientific work and his mastery in dissection, during the time he held that Chair until 1920. His career as a Surgeon began when he was appointed intern at the Hospital "Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes", in 1893, where he was assigned to the Ward of Professor Francisco Domínguez Roldán, who had recently arrived from París at that time, and became his first assistant and disciple. In 1902 he obtained the appointment of Surgeon of the Hospital "Número Uno", current Hospital "Calixto García".

During 1901 he performed the first spinal anesthesia practices in Cuba, only shortly after it had been made known by Dr. Beir in Germany. That same year he also performed the first cholecystectomy, and subsequently introduced to the country other surgical innovations such as: posterior gastroentero-anastomosis (1907); partial Hepatectomy (1927); Leriche's Sympathectomy; Adrenalectomy; retrogasserian neurotomy; posterior splanchnic anesthesia; and resection of the greater splanchnic nerve, among others.

At twenty-six years of age he entered the Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of La Habana, as a Full Member. His tireless surgical work also extended to other centers; thus, he was Surgeon of the Health Resort "Covadonga", from 1903, where he came to occupy the position of Director, both positions very advantageous economically, which he resigned in solidarity with his colleagues in the medical profession, when they went on strike in mutual aid societies. He was Surgeon Director and one of the founders of the Clinic "La Milagrosa", in 1919, belonging to the Association of Cuban Catholic Women, a place where he remained until his death.

Always desirous of being aware of any innovation that might arise to incorporate it into his Chair, he visited the most important surgical centers in París, Londres, Berlín, Viena and Estados Unidos, whose experiences he gathered in his book: Surgical Impressions from Abroad (1928). Similarly, he collected for his students forty-six of his lectures, addresses and speeches, which he grouped in the book that came to light under the title of: Through Surgery (1946).

Positions Held

Intern at Mercedes Hospital, current "Manual Fajardo", in 1893.
Surgeon of Hospital No. 1; and Surgeon and Director of the former Covadonga Clinic, now "Miguel Enríquez".
Secretary of the I National Medical Congress, in 1905.
President of the Surgery Section of the III National Medical Congress, in 1914, and Vice-president and President of such events, in 1917 and 1921, respectively.

He also performed meritorious work from the positions of:
President of the Association of the Cuban Medical Press, from 1914.
President of the Society of Clinical Studies, from 1916 to 1920.
Director and Surgeon of the Association of Cuban Catholic Women, in 1919.
President of the Franco-Cuban Medical Association "Joaquín Albarrán", in 1921.
Vice-president of the Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of La Habana, from 1917 to 1922, elected Member of Merit in 1926 and President of that institution from 1922 to 1926, and from 1934 until 1944.

In his work presented at the Congress of the Latin Medical Press, held in Venecia during the 1930s, where he participated representing the Cuban medical press, when commenting on the influence of doctors in national culture, he expressed that these had always been at the forefront of cultural progress on the Island, evidence of which was confirmed in the case of Dr. Tomás Romay, who had been one of those who directed and wrote the first organ of printed publicity in Cuba at the time of 1790: "El Papel Periódico". In the same way, he noted that the professional links of Cuban physicians with the most advanced medical institutions of Europe and the Estados Unidos had characterized the advancement of medical science in the greatest of the Antilles.

He was for fifty years:
Professor.
Minister of Health on two occasions.
Rector of the University and Professor Emeritus of the same.
President, several times reelected, and Member of Merit, of the Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of La Habana.
Corresponding Member of the Academies of Medicine of París, Madrid, Nueva York and México.
Member of the Academies of Sciences of Nueva York, Halle, México and Guatemala.
Member of the Permanent International Committee of Surgery of Bruselas.
Member of the American College of Surgeons, and of the American Association of Urology.
Vice-president of the Pan-American Medical Association; and invited as guest of honor of the Academy of Surgery of París, to the celebration of its Centenary, in 1946.
Founder of the National Society of Surgery, in 1929, he also belonged to most of the Cuban scientific societies, and was founder and Director of the National Society of Surgery. Distinguished with the highest decorations of his Country, and some from abroad, he possessed the Grand Crosses of the Order of Merit "Carlos J. Finlay" and of the Red Cross "Carlos Manuel de Céspedes", and was Commander of the Legion of Honor of France, as well as of the Aztec Eagle of México. His outstanding work as a surgeon fully justifies the creation of a sculpture of his right hand, for its eminence in that specialty, a piece that is exhibited today in the National Museum of the History of Sciences "Carlos J. Finlay."