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The Historical Library has recently received a donation from Dr. Francesc Casas, from the Oncology and Radiotherapy Department of Hospital Clínic.

The donation consists of a copy of “Tratado de Patología y Terapéutica de las enfermedades internas” by Dr. Adolfo Strümpell, published between 1885 and 1886. The work is divided into three volumes, notable for the prologue written by Dr. Bartolomé Robert, Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Barcelona, and for a chapter titled “Etiology and Prophylaxis of Asiatic Cholera” authored by Drs. Jaume Ferran and Ferran Paulí.

We sincerely thank Dr. Casas for his donation, which will now become part of our library’s collection.

On April 19, the Uriach Foundation will inaugurate the exhibition “Medicines in Catalonia: Business, Science and Innovation for Health” at the National Museum of Science and Technology of Catalonia (MNACTEC).

Organized by the Uriach Foundation, the exhibition showcases the origins and evolution of health products—from secret remedies and magistral formulas created by pharmacists in the 19th century to today’s supplements and medicines developed in state-of-the-art facilities. The exhibition also features a special section dedicated to Biodramina, one of our most iconic brands, which celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2022.

The exhibition is illustrated through the company’s collections. Since its foundation in 1838, Uriach has borne witness to the social, economic, business, scientific, and technological changes in our country that have made the current situation possible.

On March 3 and 4, the first Conference on Nutraceuticals “Bioactive Compounds and Nutraceuticals” was held, organized by the Uriach Chair of Nutraceuticals (CUdN). The aim of the event was to present the latest findings related to bioactive compounds and nutraceuticals, as well as to provide a meeting point for scientists working in this field. The sessions enabled participants to compare and discuss different perspectives on the current concept of nutraceuticals.

The conference was attended by undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students, along with professionals from various sectors working with functional and nutraceutical compounds, including technical staff from nutraceutical and food companies, pharmacists, and nutritionists.

The event was organized by the Uriach Chair of Nutraceuticals (CUdN), established in 2020 through an agreement between the Uriach Foundation and the Universitat Rovira i Virgili. The Chair is attached to the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology and coordinated by the Nutrigenomics Research Group. Its mission is to promote knowledge of nutraceuticals in the educational, professional, and social spheres through outreach, teaching, and research activities that foster the advancement and development of this discipline.

On Monday, December 13, the award ceremony for the 52nd History of Medicine Prize took place at the Uriach Foundation’s facilities in Palau-solità i Plegamans.

The winner of this edition, Ms. Andrea Graus, attended the ceremony and was recognized for her work “A History of Phrenology Through Its Subjects: Mental Calculators and Their Phrenological Casts.”

The award was presented by the President of the Foundation, Dr. Juan Uriach Marsal, accompanied by the Vice President and Director of the institution, Mr. Javier Uriach Torelló.

With this ceremony, the 52nd edition of the prize has come to a close.

The Foundation has recently acquired two new publications that have been incorporated into the collection of the Historical Library of Health Sciences.

The first volume is a compilation of press clippings and correspondence of physician and psychologist Carlos Maturana Vargas, documenting his scientific and professional activity between 1913 and 1933. It includes reports on lectures delivered, awards received, reviews of his publications, photographs, handwritten letters, scientific conclusions, and more.

The second volume is a publication concerning the purchase of quicksilver (mercury) in the Royal state monopolies:

Colegio de Boticarios de Cataluña. Voto consultivo por los Cónsules y Colegio de Boticarios de la Ciudad de Barcelona contra los subarrendadores del solimán y azogue. [Barcelona: s.n., ca. 1723]. 24 p.; 30 cm.

Yesterday, November 18, the Uriach Foundation hosted the annual meeting of the MESCO association (Corporate Museums and Singular Spaces). An association dedicated to the training of professionals in the sector and the exchange of experiences.

During the session, participants shared their different professional experiences during the pandemic, the changes and strategies adopted, as well as the new vision for the future of the sector. In addition, attendees had the opportunity to visit the Uriach Gallery space and the historical library.

The meeting featured the participation of prominent companies such as Grifols, Aigües de Barcelona, Seat, and Mosaics Martí.

The historical library has recently acquired the work of Jacques Barrelier:

Plantae per Galliam, Hispaniam et Italiam observatae, iconibus aeneis exhibitae. Cura et studio Antonii de Jussieu. Paris: Apud. Stephanum Ganeau, 1714.

Jacques Barrelier was an important 17th-century physician and botanist. He was born in Paris in 1606 and obtained his doctorate in medicine in 1634. He belonged to the Dominican Order and carried out study trips to Provence, Languedoc, and Spain. He lived in Rome for 23 years, where he created a botanical garden and dedicated himself to the description of the plant species he collected during his travels. In 1672, he returned to Paris, where he died a year later.

Barrelier’s work was destroyed in a fire; only his plates survived, which were later used by Antoine de Jussieu to publish this work. The first volume is dedicated to the description of species, many of them unknown at the time, and the second contains 1,327 engravings.

On September 30, the jury met to award the 52nd Uriach Foundation Prize “History of Medicine,” which is presented annually by the Uriach Foundation 1838.

The meeting took place at the Círculo Ecuestre in Barcelona and was attended by the jury members: Mr. Carles Hervàs Puyal, Mr. Alfons Zarzoso Orellana, and Mr. Jon Arrizabalaga Valbuena, who served as secretary.

Representing the Uriach Foundation 1838 were its honorary president, Dr. Joan Uriach Marsal, and its vice-president, Mr. Javier Uriach Torelló.

After successive rounds of voting, the 52nd Uriach Foundation Prize was awarded to the work “A History of Phrenology through its Subjects: Mental Calculators and their Phrenological Casts,” whose author, once the sealed envelope was opened, turned out to be Ms. Andrea Graus, from Barcelona.

The runner-up prize was awarded to the work “When Republican Madrid was the World Capital of Historians of Medicine,” whose author, once the sealed envelope was opened, was revealed to be Mr. Leoncio López-Ocón Cabrera, from Madrid.

On September 30, the jury of the 52nd Uriach Foundation Prize “History of Medicine” will meet to select the winning works of this year’s competition.

The jury will be composed of Alfons Zarzoso Orellana, PhD in History, curator of the Museum of the History of Medicine of Catalonia, associate professor of History of Science at the University of Catalonia, and president of the Catalan Society for the History of Science and Technology; Carles Hervàs Puyal, PhD in History and Medicine, specialist in Anesthesiology and Resuscitation, member of several national and international societies for the history of medicine, and corresponding academic of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Catalonia; and, finally, acting as secretary, Jon Arrizabalaga Valbuena, PhD in the History of Medicine, who has taught at various universities and is research professor at the Milà i Fontanals Institute of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

Once the verdict has been reached, the winners will be announced on this same page.

The Uriach Foundation has recently acquired a set of documents from the early 20th century linked to the Uriach laboratories.

This collection, which includes various bills of exchange, invoices, money orders, and order forms, is added to the rest of the documentation managed by the Uriach Foundation Archive.

The preservation and study of all this material is essential to gaining a better understanding of the history of the health industry in our country.