PAN AMERICAN SANITARY BUREAUPublication No. 158 January, 1941

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICINE IN STAMPS

OF THE AMERICAS

i·RA AI

WASHINGTON, D. C.U. S. A.

I

DIRECTING COUNCILOF THE

PAN AMERICAN SANITARY BUREAU

DIRECTORDR. HUGH S. CUMMING

Surgeon General (Retired), U. S. Public Health Service

VICE-DIRECTORDR. JOÁO DE BARROS BARRETO

Brasil

COUNSELORSDR. MIGUEL SUSSINI

Argentina

DR. ANTONIO PEÑA CHAVARRIACosta Rica

ASSISTANT DIRECTORDR. EDWARD C. ERNSTUnited States Public Health Service

SECRETARYDR. ARISTIDES A. MOLL

Editor, Pan American Sanitary Bureau

MEMBERSDR. ATILIO MACCHIAVELLO

Chile

DR. LUIS MANUEL DEBAYLENicaragua

DR. A. L. BRICEÑO ROSSIVenezuela

DR. DAGOBERTO E. GONZALEZPeru

DR. MANUEL MARTINEZ BÁEZMexico

DR. PEDRO MACHADOCuba

DR. JUAN ANTONIO MONTALVÁNEcuador

HONORARY MEMBERSDR. JORGE BEJARANO, Honorary President

Colombia

DR. CARLOS ENRIQUE PAZ SOLDÁNPeru

DR. JUSTO F. GONZÁLEZUruguay

DR. LUIS GAITÁNGuatemala

TRAVELING REPRESENTATIVES SANITARY ENGINEERSDR. JOHN D. LONG SR. WILLIAM BOAZDR. JOHN R. MURDOCK SR. EDWARD D. HOPKINSDR. ANTHONY DONOVAN SR. WALTER N. DASHIELLDR. HENRY HANSONDR. FÉLIX R. BRUNOT

United States PublicHealth Sericie

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICINE IN STAMPS OFTHE AMERICAS

On the following pages appear some of the many American stampswhich may be considered directly or indirectly related to medicine andpublic health.

Among the countries which have thus honored their scientists are: Argentina(José Pennal, 1855-1919; public health pioneer); Brazil (Father José Anchieta,1533-1579, missionary, naturalist, founder of the first hospital in Brazil); Co-lombia (Francisco José Caldas, 1741-1816, scientist and patriot, and José Fernán-dez Madrid, 1789 1830, physician and statesman); Costa Rica (Jesús Jiménez,1823-1897, physician, statesman, president); Cuba (Carlos J. Finlay, 1833-1915,who in 1881 enunciated the theory of the transmission of yellow fever by themosquito; Juan Guiteras,l 1853-1925, noted American and Cuban sanitarian; andNicolás José Gutiérrez, 1800-1879, founder, in 1840, of the first Cuban medicaljournal, Repertorio Médico Habanero); Ecuador (Francisco Eugenio de SantaCruz y Espejo, 1740-1796, pioneer journalist, publisher, librarian, as well asphysician and patriot; and José Mejía Lequerica, 1776 [1777 ?]-1813, physician,orator, and patriot); El Salvador (Manuel Enrique Araujo, 1859-1913, physicianand president; and Tomás G. Palomo, XIX century, physician and statesman);Dominican Republic (Father Francisco X. Billini, 1832-1890, founder of theinsane asylum, and an orphanage); Honduras (Vicente Mejía Colindres, physi-cian-president (1929-1933); and Miguel Paz Baraona, d. 1937, physician-president(1924-29); Mexico (Father Juan de Zumárraga, about 1468-1548, who was the firstto institute medical training in Mexico, in his school for Indians); Panama(Manuel Amador Guerrero, first President of the Republic, and a physician,and William Crawford Gorgas, 1854-1920, who eradicated yellow fever from Cubaand Panama; he has also been portrayed on a Canal Zone stamp); United States(Manasseh Cutler, 1742-1823, physician, minister, scientist, who aided in thesettlement of the Northwest Territory; Crawford Long, 1815-1878, first physicianto use anaesthetics; Walter Reed, 1851-1902, who confirmed Finlay's theory of thetransmission of yellow fever by the mosquito and made possible the sanitation ofCuba and Panama) and, finally, Uruguay (Dámaso Antonio Larrafiaga, 1771-1848[1849 ?], botanist and humanitarian, founder of one of the first charity lotteries.)One might extend the list to include the naturalist Audubon, the botanist LutherBurbank, and Benjamin Franklin, who among his many other activities, wasinstrumental in the founding of the first hospital in what is now the UnitedStates; all of these men have appeared on stamps of that country, as have themedical students, Hamilton and Harrison. Of foreign scientists, Ecuador hashonored Charles Darwin, and Cuba and Panama the Curies, discoverers ofradium.

Additional names which might be mentioned are in Peru Santa Rosa of Lima,1586-1617, who cared for the sick, and had a "hospital" in her own home, whois coinmemorated on a Peruvian stamp; and in the United States Mark Hop-kins, a medical student and educator; Jane Addams, medical student and pioneersocial worker, founder of "Hull House"; Alexander Graham Bell, inventor ofthe telephone, who developed hearing aids for the deaf. All are honored byrecent United States stamps. Several physicians (Freitas, Gouvea, and AzevedoLima) have been honored on the Tuberculosis seals of Brazil.

The role of nutrition in health is everywhere recognized, and in this connectionstamps honoring agriculture and national food products are of interest, such as the

1 Semi-postal.

1

PAN AMERICAN SANITARY BUREAU

fruit of Argentina and Uruguay; the coffee of Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecua-dor, El Salvador, Haiti and Venezuela, the banana of Colombia and Costa Rica;the cacao of Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Venezuela; the sugar cane of Argentina,Ecuador, Cuba, El Salvador; the mate and orange of Paraguay; the rice of theUnited States, and the food-producing industries in general, such as agriculture,fishing, and stock-raising.2 El Salvador has honored its noted balsam, and Perudisplays the cinchona plant in its national coat of arms on a stamp, and also hasone showing cotton. Other substances sometimes used in medicino have bcenpictured: gold (Colombia, Ecuador); petroleum (Bolivia, Colombia, Peru andVenezuela); and nitrates (Chile).

Child and maternal welfare have been the subject of stamps in Brazil, Colomn-bia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, and (Motherhood) the Dominican Republic andthe United States. Athletics and sports have been commemorated by Colombia,Ecuador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Panama, and the United States, especially in connec-tion with international or national sports assemblies. Red Cross and tuberculosisstamps and seals have been issued by Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba,Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, the Philippines, the United States, Uru-guay, and Venezuela. Surinam has a Green Cross stamp. Costa Rica, Guatemalaand Panama have issued stamps picturing a nurse. Hospital stamps haveappeared in Costa Rica (asylum), Guatemala (maternity), El Salvador, Hon-duras and Peru (children's hospital). Ecuador has issued social security stampsand Peru several for the relief of the unemployed. Charity stamps have ap-peared in Brazil, Surinam and elsewhere. Peru's Medical School and Instituteof Hygiene appear on stamps. Guatemala has the unique distinction of havingthe beautiful building of its National Department of Health on a stamp.

Other stamps which might be mentioned are: mineral waters (Chile);aqueduct (Haiti) and dams (Mexico and Uruguay), calling to mind the importanceof water supplies; the Universities of Brazil, Mexico and Peru; Bolivia's Torch ofLearning; Brazil's and Mexico's Census, Peru's National History Museum, Su-rinam's disease campaign, Mexico's malaria control, and the public healthstamps of Colombia and Uruguay.

The latest, and to some extent the most interesting, series of this type isthe one (originally intended for the VIII American Child Welfare Congressscheduled for 1940 and indefinitely postponed) issued by Costa Rica on PanAmerican Health Day with the overprint "Día Panamericano de la Salud".

Many American countries have issued beautiful stamps depicting Indian typesand customs, among them the Indian schools and institutes (Bolivia, Guatemala);Indian "chasqui" or mail-runner (Peru); Indians hunting fish (British Guiana)and buffalo (United States); Indian dwellings and other buildings (Mexico,Peru, United States); and many others.3

Another interesting feature in public health philately is the use of cancel-lations to emphasize health lessons, such as Cuba's "Finlay freed the world fromnyellow fever" and the cancellations depicting insect pests and urging theirextermination (flies, El Salvador, Guatemala; lice, Chile, Guatemala; mosquitoes,El Salvador, Venezuela).4

While the list might be extended indefinitely, it will serve to showthat medicine and public health have not been neglected by the stamp-makers of the American Republics.

See the article on agricultural stamps by Beatrice Newhall, Bull Pan Amer Union, Mar., 1939.p. 179; Bol. Un. Panam., Mar., 1939, p. 183.

3 Newhall, B.: Indian life in stamps of Pan American countries, Bull. Pan Amer. Union. June1939, p. 322.

4 Bol. Of. San. Pan., June 1934, p. 662; Feb. 1935, p. 182: AMar. 1935, p. 273; Nov. 1939, p. 1084.

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PUBLIC HEALTH AND MIEDICINE IN STAMPS 3

CORREOS MEXICO. ~ CENTAVOS '

I.-Personalidades médicas (medical personalities); Penna (Argentina); An-chicta (Brasil); Gorgas (Zona del Canal); Caldas, Madrid (Colombia); Jiménez(Costa Rica); Finlay, Guiteras (Cuba); Espejo, Mejía (Ecuador); Araujo, Palomo(El Salvador); Reed, Cutler, Long (Estados Unidos); Baraona, Mejía Colindres(Honduras); Zumárraga (México); Santa Rosa (Perú); Amador (Panambá); Billini(República Dominicana).

4 PAN AMERICAN SANITARY BUREAU

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II.-Alimentos, Drogas e Industrias Afines (Foods, Drugs and Related Indus-tries): Pesca-Fishing (Guayana Inglesa, Chile); Agricultura-Agriculture (Para-guay); Arroz-Rice (Estados Unidos); Agua-Water (Haití); Azúcar-Sugar(Argentina); Banana (Costa Rica); Café-Coffee (Brasil); Cafe y cacao-Coffeeand cacao (Ecuador); Mate y naranja-Mate and orange (Paraguay); Bálsamo-Balsam (El Salvador); Quina-Cinchona (Perú); Petróleo-Oil (Colombia); Oro-

Cotton (Perúi).Cotton (Perú).

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICINE IN STAMPS 5

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III.-Protección Maternoinfantil y Deportes (Child and Maternal Welfareand Sports); Protección infantil-Child welfare (México y Perú); Maternidad-Motherhood (Estados Unidos y República Dominicana); Deportes-Sports(Colombia, Ecuador, Estados Unidos, Nicaragua, Panamá).

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PAN AMERICAN SANITARY BUREAU

IV.-Cruz Roja y Tuberculosis: timbres y sellos (Some Red Cross and Tuber-culosis stamps and seals): Cruz Roja-Red Cross (Colombia, Estados Unidos,Guatemala, Venezuela); Tuberculosis (Argentina, Brasil, Cuba, Colombia, Chile,Ecuador, Estados Unidos); Caridad-Charity (Brasil); Pro Desocupados-Forthe Unemployed (Perú); Seguro Social del Campesino-Peasant's Social Security(Ecuador).

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V.-Miscelánea: Sanidad-Health (Colombia, Perú, Uruguay): Censo-Census(México); Vivienda obrera-Workers' housing (Bolivia, Perú); Rcestaurantepopular-Popular restaurant (Perú); Termas-Hot springs (Chile); PrensaMédica-Medical Press (Cuba); Malaria (México); Pro-Defensa y Salud-Defenseand Health (Estados Unidos); Asilo Chapuí-Chapuí Asylum (Costa Rica); Luzeléctrica-Electric light (Estados Unidos); Antorcha de inteligencia-Torch ofKnowledge (Bolivia).

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PUBLICATIONS OF THE PAN AMERICAN SANITARY BUREAU

No. 1.-Prevención de las Enfermedades Transmisibles. 60 páginas.No. 3.-Higiene Pre-natal. 7 páginas.No. 4.-Higiene de la Leche. 10 páginas.No. 5.-Ordenanza Modelo para Leche. 11 páginas.No. 7.-Organización del Servicio de Sanidad Pública de los Estados Unidos. 26 páginas.No. 9.-La Profilaxis del Bocio Endémico. 10 páginas.No. 10.-Higiene de la Infancia. 6 páginas.No. 17.-Conservación de la Vista. 6 páginas.No. 19.-Colecta, Examen e Identificación de las Pulgas Murinas. 11 páginas.No. 22.-El Cuidado de la Sífilis en la Práctica General. 33 páginas.No. 23.--Ieningitis Cerebroespinal Epidémica (Meningocócica). 4 páginas.No. 25.-Amígdalas y Adenoides (Vegetaciones Adenoideas). 6 páginas.No. 26.-Tifoidea: Su Causa y Profilaxia. 4 páginas.No. 2S.-Diagnóstico del Paludismo. 9 páginas.No. 30.-Tratamiento del Paludismo. 4 páginas.No. 36.-Nomenclatura Internacional de las Causas de Muerte. 16 páginas.No. 37.-El Interrogatorio en el Diagnóstico Precoz de la Tuberculosis Pulmonar. 3 páginas.No. 43.-Código Sanitario Panamericano. 23 páginas.No. 45.-La Declaración Obligatoria del Embarazo. 10 páginas.No. 46.-La Difteria enl el Trópico. 15 páginas.No. 47.-Los Censos en Sanidad y en Epidemiología. 13 páginas.No. 48.-Higiene Comunal para el Pre-escolar. 5 páginas.No. 49.-El Diagnóstico de la Fiebre Amarilla. 14 páginas.No. 50.-Acta Final, II Conferencia Panamericana de Directores Nacionales de Sanidad. 16 páginas.No. 51.-Milk. 8 pages.No. 52.-Summary of Proccedings, II Pan American Conference of National Directors of Health. 14

pages.No. 53.-Vacunación Antidiftérica. 8 páginas.No. 55.-A Lucta Anti-Larvaria no Impaludismo. 6 páginas.No. 57.-Diaglióstico Retrospectivo de la Fiebre Amarilla. 6 páginas.No. 58.-El Problema de la Alimentación en el Uruguay. 9 páginas.No. 61.-Immunización Profiláctica de los Recién Nacidos con BCG. 22 páginas.No. 62.-Epidemiología de la Lepra. 5 páginas.No. 65.-La Higiene Mental. 11 páginas.No. 67.-A Desratizacao no Rio de Janeiro. 6 páginas.No. 70.-Diagnóstico de la Tuberculosis. 6 páginas.No. 82.-Narcomania. 46 páginas.No. 88.-Antirratización de los Buques. 40 páginas.No. 90.-Control de las Enfermedades Transmisibles. 70 páginas.No. 94.-Tratamiento del Ofidismo. 11 páginas.No. 96.-Health Suggestions for Travelers in the Americas. 16 pages.No. 97.-Acta Final, Novena Conferencia Sanitaria Panamericana. 20 páginas.No. 98.-El Problema de la Fiebre Amarilla en América. 10 páginas.No. 99.-Profilaxia de la Fiebre Amarilla. 6 páginas.No. 101.-Ninth Pan American Sanitary Conference. 8 pages.No. 102.-El Saneamiento del Suelo. 17 páginas.No. 103.-Report of the Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau. 8 pages.No. 105.-Fumigación de Buques con Acido Cianhídrico. 14 páginas.No. 106.-Snake-Bites. 10 pages.No. 107.-Obras Sanitarias de Protección a la Infancia. 47 páginas.No. 108.-Las Repúblicas Americanas ante las Convenciones Internacionales de Sanidad. 5 páginas.No. 109.-La Lucha Antivenérea. 27 páginas.No. 110.-Third Pan American Conference of National Directors of Health-Summary of Proeedings.

10 pages.

No. ll.-Venenos Antirrata. 4 páginas.No. 112.-Tratamiento Anti-Leprotico. 14 páginas.No. 113.-Pautas de Organización Sanitaria. 12 páginas.No. 11

4.- Nomenclatura para Enfermedades Mentales. 28 páginas.

No. 118.-Servivo de Peste. 6 páginas.No. 121.-Actas de la Tercera Conferencia Panamericana de Directores Nacionales de Sanidad.

396 páginas.No. 125.-Pautas para Abastos de Agua. 16 páginas.No. 126.-Décima Conferencia Sanitaria Panamericana, Acta Final. 20 páginas.No. 127.-Lepra: Epidemiologia-Clasificaci6ón-Tratamiento. 17 páginas.No. 128.-A Classificaáao da Lepra. 5 páginas.No. 129.-Final Act: Tenth Pan American Sanitary Conference. 13 pages.No. 130.-Dixiéme Conference Sanitaire Panaméricaine: Acte Final. 20 pages.No. 131.-X Conferéncia Sanitária Panamericana: Ata Final. 12 páginas.No. 132.-Modelos de Certificados de Defunción, de Nacimiento Viable, y de Defunción Fetal. 4 pá-

ginas.No. 133.-Tenth Pan American Sanitary Conference. 14 pages.No. 134.-Los Preventorios en la Lepra. 8 páginas.No. 135.-Proyecto de Escalafón Sanitario. 12 páginas.No. 136.-Actas de la Décima Conferencia Sanitaria Panamericana. 941 páginas.No. 137.-Nomenclatura Internacional de las Causas de Muerte. 25 páginas.No. 138.-La Enfermería Sanitaria. 10 páginas.No. 139.-Mate. 8 pages.No. 140.-Alimentación. 22 páginas.No. 141.-Sociedades e Instituciones Científicas de la América Latina (Scientific Societies and Institu-

tions in Latin America). 50 páginas.No. 142.-Demografía de las Repúblicas Americanas. 16 páginas.No. 143.-Educación Sexual Destinada a los Padres. 9 páginas.No. 144.-Estudio de Ciertas Cuestiones Relativas a las Vitaminas. 14 páginas.No. 145.-Lo que Debemos Saber sobre Cáncer. 6 páginas.No. 146.-A las Madres. 2 páginas.No. 147.-IV Conferencia Panamericana de Directores Nacionales de Sanidad: Acta Final. 9 páginas.No. 148.-The Pan American Sanitary Bureau and ita Cooperative Work in the Improvement of Milk

Supplies. 4 pages.No. 149.-Half a Century of Medical and Public Health Progress. 20 pages.No. 150.-Medio Siglo de Adelanto en Medicina y Sanidad. 22 páginas.No. 151.-IV Pan American Conference of National Directors of Health (Final Act). 8 pages.No. 152.-Medical and Public Health Journals of Latin America (Revistas de Medicina y Sanidad

de la América Latina). 51 páginas.No. 153.-Annual Report of the Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau: 1939-1940. 34 pages.No. 154.-Reacción a la tuberculina. 6 páginas.No. 155.-Informe Anual del Director de la Oficina Sanitaria Panamericana: 1939-1940. 39 páginas.No. 156.-Pan American Publie Health Quiz. 14 pages.No. 157.-Epitome del Segundo Suplemento (1939) de la Farmacopea E.U. XI. 16 páginas.No. 158.-Public Health and Medicine in Stamps of the Americas. 7 pages.

Adresser toutes les demandes a M. le Directeur de l'Office Sanitaire Panaméricain.Diríjanse todos los pedidos al Director de la Oficina Sanitaria Panamericana.Todos os pedidos devem ser enderezados ao Diretor da Reparticao Sanitária Panamericana.Address all requests for publications to the Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau.

THE PAN AMERICAN SANITARY BUREAU is an inde-pendent international public health organization. It was

created by the Second International American Conference(1901-1902), organized by the First Pan American SanitaryConference (1902), and reorganized by the Sixth (1920). It isgoverned by a Directing Council elected, together with theDirector, at each Pan American Sanitary Conference, andsupported by annual quotas contributed pro rata by all theAmerican Republics. The Bureau is interested primarily inthe prevention of the international spread of communicablediseases, and also in the maintenance and improvement of thehealth of the people of the 21 American Republics. Under theprovisions of the Pan American Sanitary Code (1924), it hasbecome the center of coordination and information in the fieldof public health, in the American Republics. It also acts as aconsulting body at the request of national health authorities,carries on epidemiological and scientific studies, and publishesa monthly Bulletin, as well as other educational material. ·