Dr Eduardo Bertrán Rubio (1838-1909): the first neurologist in the Reial Acadèmia de Medicina i Cirurgia of Catalonia

A. Arboix
Neurosciences and History 2018; 6(2): 66-70

Type of article: REVIEW

AUTHOR

A. Arboix
Cerebrovascular Disease Unit. Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitari del Sagrat Cor, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

ABSTRACT

Introduction. Dr Eduardo Bertrán Rubio was a pioneer in the use of medical electrotherapy in Spain. In his clinical practice, he was one of the precursors of a new medical specialty: neurology. Born in 1838, 17 years before Luis Barraquer Roviralta (1855), he is considered one of the fathers of Catalan and Spanish clinical neurology.

Development. Dr Bertrán was a true “neurology prophet,” and was known for his tenacious and persevering personality. He joined the Reial Acadèmia de Medicina i Cirurgia of Catalonia in 1865, and was the first member to be registered as neurologist and electrotherapist. A multi-faceted character and a great scholar, the publication in 1872 of his Tratado de electroterapia (Treatise on electrotherapy) represented his main contribution to science.

Conclusions. Dr Eduardo Bertrán Rubio died in Barcelona in 1909, at the age of 71. One of the highest distinctions of the Catalan Society of Neurology, awarded in recognition of the professional career of its members, bears his name.

KEYWORDS

Catalan neurology, Eduardo Bertrán Rubio, history, neurology

Neurosciences and History 2018; 6(2): 66-70