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The history of the painting “The Discovery of Anesthesia” by the Spanish painter Cecilio Plá
International Congress Series 1242 (2002) 541 – 546
The history of the painting ‘‘The Discovery of Anesthesia’’ by the Spanish painter Cecilio Pla´ M.J. Rodrı´guez *, J.C. Diz, B. Ulloa, J. Lagunilla, A. Franco Servicio de Anestesiologı´a, Reanimacio´n y Tratamiento del Dolor Hospital Clı´nico, Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Trav. da Choupana, sn 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
In 1906, the Spanish dentist, Luis Subirana (Fig. 1) asked the Valencian painter, Cecilio Pla´, to paint a triptych about the discovery of anaesthesia by Horace Wells. The next year, on January 17, 1907, Dr. Subirana showed the painting in a special session of the Spanish Dentistry Society in Madrid (Fig. 2). During the ceremony, Dr. Subirana gave an emotional speech about Wells, in which he claimed his decisive role in the discovery of anaesthesia [1,2] (Fig. 3). At the same time, he requested from the assistants to the ceremony a collection for the expense of sending both a copy of the painting and a silver plaque (donation of the Spanish Dentistry Society) to Hartford, CT, USA. Now, both the copy of Cecilio Pla´’s painting and the silver plaque are exhibited in the Medical Library in Hartford (Fig. 4). In 1908, Dr Subirana made a presentation of the painting at the International Congress of Surgery in Brussels, and in 1910, on the occasion of the opening of the ‘‘American Square’’ in Paris, where a statue of Horace Wells was also placed, Dr. Subirana, as representative of the Spanish Dentistry Society, presented the painting with a speech (Fig. 5) [3]. For many years, the picture belonged to the family of Dr. Subirana, and copies of the reproduction could be seen in many Spanish dental consultation rooms. A few years ago, Dr. Subirana’s family sold the triptych to a Spanish doctor, who wishes to remain anonymous [4].
References [1] L. Subirana Matas, El descubrimiento de la anestesia, Horace Wells, Biblioteca de ‘‘La estomatologı´a’’, Madrid, 1907. [2] Anonymous, El descubrimiento de la Anestesia, Blanco y Negro (Madrid, 2 de Febrero de 1967). [3] Anonymous, Anuario Dental, Madrid 1929 – 1930, 160 pp. [4] A. Franco, J.C. Diz, A. Garcia et al., Cecilio Pla´’s The Discovery of Anaesthesia. The Contribution of a Painting to Anaesthesia History, Anesthesiology 88 (5) (1988) 1387 – 1389.
*
Corresponding author. Fax: +34-981950634.
0531-5131/02 D 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. PII: S 0 5 3 1 - 5 1 3 1 ( 0 2 ) 0 0 7 1 3 - 6
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Fig. 1. Luis Subirana Matas (1871 – 1938), Spanish odontologist (courtesy of Subirana Pita).
M.J. Rodrı´guez et al. / International Congress Series 1242 (2002) 541–546
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Fig. 2. Triptych painted by Cecilio Pla´ in 1906, according to the suggestions of Dr. Subirana (courtesy of Dr. Forteza Rey).
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M.J. Rodrı´guez et al. / International Congress Series 1242 (2002) 541–546
Fig. 3. On January 17, 1907, Dr. Subirana presented The Discovery of Anesthesia at a crowded, extraordinary session of the Spanish Odontological Society, which was presided over by the Minister of Health. There, he read an extensive paper that constituted a passionate defense of the crucial contribution that Wells made to the discovery of anaesthesia.
M.J. Rodrı´guez et al. / International Congress Series 1242 (2002) 541–546
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Fig. 4. In 1910, Dr. Subirana spoke as a representative of the Spanish Delegation at the unveiling of a statue of Horace Wells in Paris.
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M.J. Rodrı´guez et al. / International Congress Series 1242 (2002) 541–546
Fig. 5. The city of Hartford was sent, as a tribute to Wells, a silver wreath, which is currently kept in the city’s medical library (courtesy of Dr. Wood).
The history of the painting ‘‘The Discovery of Anesthesia’’ by the Spanish painter Cecilio Pla´ M.J. Rodrı´guez *, J.C. Diz, B. Ulloa, J. Lagunilla, A. Franco Servicio de Anestesiologı´a, Reanimacio´n y Tratamiento del Dolor Hospital Clı´nico, Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Trav. da Choupana, sn 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
In 1906, the Spanish dentist, Luis Subirana (Fig. 1) asked the Valencian painter, Cecilio Pla´, to paint a triptych about the discovery of anaesthesia by Horace Wells. The next year, on January 17, 1907, Dr. Subirana showed the painting in a special session of the Spanish Dentistry Society in Madrid (Fig. 2). During the ceremony, Dr. Subirana gave an emotional speech about Wells, in which he claimed his decisive role in the discovery of anaesthesia [1,2] (Fig. 3). At the same time, he requested from the assistants to the ceremony a collection for the expense of sending both a copy of the painting and a silver plaque (donation of the Spanish Dentistry Society) to Hartford, CT, USA. Now, both the copy of Cecilio Pla´’s painting and the silver plaque are exhibited in the Medical Library in Hartford (Fig. 4). In 1908, Dr Subirana made a presentation of the painting at the International Congress of Surgery in Brussels, and in 1910, on the occasion of the opening of the ‘‘American Square’’ in Paris, where a statue of Horace Wells was also placed, Dr. Subirana, as representative of the Spanish Dentistry Society, presented the painting with a speech (Fig. 5) [3]. For many years, the picture belonged to the family of Dr. Subirana, and copies of the reproduction could be seen in many Spanish dental consultation rooms. A few years ago, Dr. Subirana’s family sold the triptych to a Spanish doctor, who wishes to remain anonymous [4].
References [1] L. Subirana Matas, El descubrimiento de la anestesia, Horace Wells, Biblioteca de ‘‘La estomatologı´a’’, Madrid, 1907. [2] Anonymous, El descubrimiento de la Anestesia, Blanco y Negro (Madrid, 2 de Febrero de 1967). [3] Anonymous, Anuario Dental, Madrid 1929 – 1930, 160 pp. [4] A. Franco, J.C. Diz, A. Garcia et al., Cecilio Pla´’s The Discovery of Anaesthesia. The Contribution of a Painting to Anaesthesia History, Anesthesiology 88 (5) (1988) 1387 – 1389.
*
Corresponding author. Fax: +34-981950634.
0531-5131/02 D 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. PII: S 0 5 3 1 - 5 1 3 1 ( 0 2 ) 0 0 7 1 3 - 6
542
M.J. Rodrı´guez et al. / International Congress Series 1242 (2002) 541–546
Fig. 1. Luis Subirana Matas (1871 – 1938), Spanish odontologist (courtesy of Subirana Pita).
M.J. Rodrı´guez et al. / International Congress Series 1242 (2002) 541–546
543
Fig. 2. Triptych painted by Cecilio Pla´ in 1906, according to the suggestions of Dr. Subirana (courtesy of Dr. Forteza Rey).
544
M.J. Rodrı´guez et al. / International Congress Series 1242 (2002) 541–546
Fig. 3. On January 17, 1907, Dr. Subirana presented The Discovery of Anesthesia at a crowded, extraordinary session of the Spanish Odontological Society, which was presided over by the Minister of Health. There, he read an extensive paper that constituted a passionate defense of the crucial contribution that Wells made to the discovery of anaesthesia.
M.J. Rodrı´guez et al. / International Congress Series 1242 (2002) 541–546
545
Fig. 4. In 1910, Dr. Subirana spoke as a representative of the Spanish Delegation at the unveiling of a statue of Horace Wells in Paris.
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M.J. Rodrı´guez et al. / International Congress Series 1242 (2002) 541–546
Fig. 5. The city of Hartford was sent, as a tribute to Wells, a silver wreath, which is currently kept in the city’s medical library (courtesy of Dr. Wood).