Daniel Alcides Carrion’s death: a critical review

Daniel Alcides Carrion’s experiment was a landmark in the history of Peruvian medicine, with much controversy, but perhaps the main topic of discussion is the cause of Carrion’s death. An objective fact has passed unnoticed in the last hours of the experiment: the administration of intravenous injec...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Salinas-Flores, David
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2009
País:Perú
Institución:Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
Repositorio:Revistas - Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
Idioma:español
OAI Identifier:oai:revistasinvestigacion.unmsm.edu.pe:article/964
Acceso en línea:https://revistasinvestigacion.unmsm.edu.pe/index.php/anales/article/view/964
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Perú
historia de medicina
carbunco
Carrión
Daniel A
bartonelosis
fenol.
Peru
history of medicine
anthrax
Carrion
Bartonella Infections
phenol.
Descripción
Sumario:Daniel Alcides Carrion’s experiment was a landmark in the history of Peruvian medicine, with much controversy, but perhaps the main topic of discussion is the cause of Carrion’s death. An objective fact has passed unnoticed in the last hours of the experiment: the administration of intravenous injections of phenic acid. In 1884, this was a therapy proposed for anthrax treatment in Peru. The doctors’ medical decision during Carrion’s agony probably did not consider giving blood transfusions to Carrion in order to experiment with this new treatment. They probably thought to repeat with bartonellosis the success described with phenic acid injections in a patient with anthrax, unaware of the now proven toxicity of phenic acid. The event precipitating Carrion’s death was probably phenic acid intoxication in a patient with bartonellosis in the anemic phase.