Wenceslao Díaz Gallegos

Wenceslao Díaz Gallegos (1834–1895) was a Chilean scientist and medical surgeon, widely considered one of the fathers of sanitation in the country. He trained generations of medical professionals and introduced medical devices, such as the thermometer and the hypodermic syringe, for the first time in Chile. Díaz made numerous contributions to Chilean medicine and natural history, and was also a skilled linguist in several languages.

Early life and education

He was born in Hacienda Limache, near San Fernando, on February 21, 1834. He studied at Colegio Taforó in Santiago and later finished high school education at the Instituto Nacional.

Díaz graduated as a medical surgeon in 1859, at the Universidad de Chile School of Medicine, when it was located on the building in the intersection of San Francisco and Las Delicias, the current Libertador General Bernardo O’Higgins Avenue. and collected botanical specimens. The Chilean botanist Rudolfo Amando Philippi named at least seven different species of plants in his honor, including: Alstroemeria diazii Phil., Boopis diazii Phil., Cerastium diazii Phil., Panargyrus diazii Phil., Schizanthus diazii Phil., Ourisia diazii Phil., and Senecio diazii Phil.

Career In 1873 he was appointed head of the chair of internal medicine at the Universidad de Chile School of Medicine. From that position he pushed the introduction of modern medical instruments like the thermometer and the hypodermic syringe, which was used to administer morphine, atropine and cocaine in the treatment of patients. Both had never been used before in the country.

Díaz died on January 19, 1895.