Bernardino António Gomes (1768-1823): a quina e o isolamento da cinchonina

Overview & Synopsis

Bernardino António Gomes (1768-1823) was an eminent Portuguese physician and scientist who gained particular recognition in chemistry, with the isolation of cinchonine from the bark of cinchona, an antimalarial plant. This isolation was described in the Ensaio sobre o cinchonino (1812) triggering a strong polemic between Gomes and the editors of the Jornal de Coimbra. Additionally, he played an important role in other fields: public health, founding the Instituição Vacínica, and promoting the use of Jenner’s vaccine; in dermatology, by writing the first Portuguese book entirely dedicated to skin conditions; and in botany, devoting himself into studying numerous Brazilian plants, such as ipecac or cinnamon. His work had ample international repercussion, chiefly in France.