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Birth
Dr. Carlos Finlay was born on December 3, 1833 in Camaguey, Cuba. His father was Edward Finlay a Scottish physician, an ophthalmologist (eye treatment specialist), who had moved to Cuba two years earlier. And shortly after arriving with his wife in Cuba they changed their names to show how much they loved their new country. -
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schooling
Juan Carlos was sent to Germany for his primary studies then Rouen in France where his father studied medicine. When he returned to cuba as a teenager he asked if he can legally change his name to further embrace his cuban identity. in 1851 he attended Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA. He graduated in 1855 and completed his studies in Havana and in Paris. -
Yellow fever
In 1865 he sent a paper about his theory of Weather conditions and the yellow fever disease to the Academy of Sciences in Havana. He was the first to think that yellow fever was transmitted from a mosquito. This states that if a mosquito has the disease it could transfer the disease to a healthy person who does not have the disease. -
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ten year war
in 1868 when the Ten year war began in 1868 he went to live in Trinidad. He returned to Cuba in 1870 and in 1879. When he returned he got the chance to work in the first American Yellow Fever Commision. He spent years working on theories (most about the yellow fever). -
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speaking about his theory
He spoke at medical conferences in Havana and Washington D.C. in 1871. Unfortunately his theory of mosquito transfer of the virus came with nothing from the medical and scientific community. In 1900 the first U.S. medical commission went to study the disease. -
proof
This commission was led by Dr. Walter Reed went to Havana. Although at first the U.S. scientist didn’t focus on Finlay’s theory. They thought it was filth that spread the disease but all their experiments failed so they began to look over Dr. Finlay’s 19 years of research. The concluded that yellow fever is only becomes contagious in the first 3 days of the illness . -
Yellow fever under controll
Dr. Reed proved that Dr. Finlay had been right all along. This theory was introduced all throughout Cuba. This brought the disease under control. -
no credit
Unfortunately Dr. Reed’s original report did not even mention Finlay’s research or theories. So Dr. Reed and his team where granted the credit. Although Dr. Finlay wasn’t considered he grew more and more known as the one for credit. -
death
Dr. Carlos Finlay died on August 20, 1915 in Havana, Cuba. He was still not officaly considered for his work. He died of natural causes -
Credit
Dr. Carlos Finlay was officaly credited. He was credited by International Congress of Medical History for the Yellow fever. Unfortunatly it was 39 years Dr. Carlos Finlay died
