Mikrobiol. Z. 2022; 84(4):105-111.

Oswaldo Gonçalves Cruz

V.Yu. Barshteyn1, M.A. Andreychyn2, M.Ya. Spivak3

1Institute of Food Biotechnology and Genomics, NAS of Ukraine
2A Оsipovskogo Str., Кyiv, 04123, Ukraine

2Horbachevskyi Ternopil National Medical University
1 Maidan Voli, Ternopil, 46001, Ukraine

3Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology, NAS of Ukraine
154 Acad. Zabolotny Str., Kyiv, 03143, Ukraine

The 150th birth anniversary of the Brasilian scientist, physician, bacteriologist, epidemiologist and public health officer Oswaldo Gonçalves Cruz (1872 ‒ 1917), the founder of Brasilian microbiology, was celebrated on August 5, 2022. His personality is broadly described in material historical sources: philately, bonistics, and numismatics (including medal art). At the same time, the information contained in each literary source is not sufficient to introduce art medals into scientific biomedical circulation. Aim. To explore and introduce into scientific biomedical circulation art medals — tangible historical sources studied by medal art, a section of the special historical discipline of numismatics, related to the life and work of Oswaldo Cruz. Methods. Both general scientific (historical and logical) and special (subject-chronological and retrospective) methods were used in the work. Numismatic, medical and biological literature, materials of international numismatic auctions, and websites of world mints have been studied. Results. Award and commemorative medals of Brasil and Portugal relating to the life and scientific heritage of Oswaldo Cruz have been studied and described. Medals were issued for the presentation to Oswaldo Cruz, foreign and Brazilian medical institutions, on the occasion of congresses, anniversaries of Cruz and his institute, as a reward. Conclusions. The study has become a new step in the development of the history of biomedical science, supplementing the knowledge of the artistic reflection of Oswaldo Cruz’s life in the medal art. Such material historical sources as art medals, enabled us to capture the pages of the biography and scientific work of Oswaldo Cruz in a new plane, introducing the medals into scientific biomedical circulation.

Keywords: Oswaldo Cruz, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, art medal, history of biomedical science.

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