Bernardino Ramazzini

Bernardino Ramazzini (Italian pronunciation: [bernarˈdino ramat'tsini]; 4 October 1633 – 5 November 1714) was an Italian physician. He has been considered as a founder of occupational medicine with his book on occupational diseases, De Morbis Artificum Diatriba ("Diseases of Workers") published in 1700. Ramazzini, along with Francesco Torti, was an early proponent of the use of cinchona bark (from which quinine is derived) in the treatment of malaria.

Life

Ramazzini was born in Carpi on 4 October 1633 according to his birth certificate. His parents were Bartolomeo Ramazzini and Caterina Federzoni. He studied medicine from the age of 19 at the University of Parma, where his interest in occupational diseases began. He then moved to Rome and attended the lectures of Antonio Maria de Rossi. He practiced medicine in Viterbo. where he suffered from malaria.

Career

He was invited by Marquis Alfonso Molza as court physician to Duke Francis II in 1671. He was made chair of theory of medicine at University of Modena in 1682 alongside Francesco Torti. Here he became interested in the relationships between climate and epidemics. In 1693 he was elected to Caesarean-Leopoldine Academy with the title of Terzo Ippocrate ["Third Hippocrates"]. He then served as professor of medicine at the University of Padua from 1700 until his death. He is often called "the father of occupational medicine"

Occupational medicine

His book on occupational diseases, De Morbis Artificum Diatriba (Diseases of Workers) outlined the health hazards of chemicals, dust, metals, repetitive or violent motions, odd postures, and other disease-causative agents encountered by workers in more than fifty occupations. This was one of the founding and seminal works of occupational medicine and played a substantial role in its development.