Acacio Gabriel Viegas
Encyclopedia
Acacio Gabriel Viegas was a medical practitioner
who was credited with the discovery of the outbreak of bubonic plague
in Bombay
, India
in 1896. His timely discovery helped saved many lives in the city and was credited with the inoculation of 18,000 residents. He was also the president of the Bombay Municipal Corporation.
, Goa
. After
the completion of his primary education, he joined St Xavier's High School, Bombay where he completed his matriculation in 1874 with a distinction. He then enrolled in the Grant Medical College, securing a First Class
at the L.M. & S. degree examination held in 1880. Veigas then setup practice at Mandvi
in the south Bombay area.
Not satisfied with serving the public only through medicine, he successfully contested the civic election from 1888 till 1907. In 1906 he became the President of the Municipal Corporation, enjoying the distinction of being the first native Christian
to do so.
He was an active member of the Standing Committee and the Improvement Trust. He then focused his attention to improving the living conditions of the city's poor and down-trodden. He also tried to minimise the increases of public utility costs. As president, Veigas promoted medical relief and introduced compulsory free education.
Veigas was also a member of the Bombay University Syndicate, and was the pioneer of the Faculty of Scientific Technology. He also introduced Portuguese
into the syllabus and supported the creation of special colleges for women. He was also an examiner in Medicine at the degree level and Foundation-Fellow of the College of Physicians and Surgeons
.
. Those in the medical field were puzzled by this disease which saw a mass exodus from the city. The city's commerce was badly hit, and the flourishing textile industry was grounded.
Viegas correctly diagnosed the disease as Bubonic Plague and tended to patients with great personal risk. He then launched a vociferous campaign to clean up slums and exterminate rats, the carriers of the plague.
To confirm Veigas' findings, four teams of independent experts were brought in. With his diagnosis proving to be correct, the Governor of Bombay invited W M Haffkine, who had earlier formulated a vaccine for cholera
, do the same for the epidemic. Haffkine's vaccine saved thousands of lives with Veigas personally inoculating around eighteen thousand residents.
As a Goan, he did a lot for his community with active involvement in the uplift and education of Goans.
After his death in 1933, a life-size statue of him was erected in the Cowasji Jehangir Hall
opposite Metro Cinema
on his birth centenary in 1956, by the Governor of Bombay Presidency
, Harekrushna Mahtab, as a tribute to the services rendered to the city. A street in the Dhobitalao area is also named after him.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
who was credited with the discovery of the outbreak of bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
in Bombay
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1896. His timely discovery helped saved many lives in the city and was credited with the inoculation of 18,000 residents. He was also the president of the Bombay Municipal Corporation.
Early life
Acacio Viegas was born on 1856-04-01 in ArporaArpora
Arpora is a village close to the North Goa beach belt, in India's tourism-destination state....
, Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. After
the completion of his primary education, he joined St Xavier's High School, Bombay where he completed his matriculation in 1874 with a distinction. He then enrolled in the Grant Medical College, securing a First Class
British undergraduate degree classification
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
at the L.M. & S. degree examination held in 1880. Veigas then setup practice at Mandvi
Mandvi, Mumbai
Mandvi is an area in South Mumbai near Masjid Bunder. It is located near Pydhone. It has a high Muslim population. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it had a small, but thriving Jewish community. The 200-year old Gate of Mercy Synagogue is located in this region....
in the south Bombay area.
As president
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
to do so.
He was an active member of the Standing Committee and the Improvement Trust. He then focused his attention to improving the living conditions of the city's poor and down-trodden. He also tried to minimise the increases of public utility costs. As president, Veigas promoted medical relief and introduced compulsory free education.
Veigas was also a member of the Bombay University Syndicate, and was the pioneer of the Faculty of Scientific Technology. He also introduced Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
into the syllabus and supported the creation of special colleges for women. He was also an examiner in Medicine at the degree level and Foundation-Fellow of the College of Physicians and Surgeons
College of Physicians and Surgeons
There are several educational institutions that are called the College of Physicians and Surgeons:*The College of Physicians and Surgeons which merged with the University of Maryland School of Medicine...
.
The plague
In 1896, a mysterious disease hit the city in the Nowroji Hill slums. The disease spread rapidly affecting many city residents and became an epidemicEpidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
. Those in the medical field were puzzled by this disease which saw a mass exodus from the city. The city's commerce was badly hit, and the flourishing textile industry was grounded.
Viegas correctly diagnosed the disease as Bubonic Plague and tended to patients with great personal risk. He then launched a vociferous campaign to clean up slums and exterminate rats, the carriers of the plague.
To confirm Veigas' findings, four teams of independent experts were brought in. With his diagnosis proving to be correct, the Governor of Bombay invited W M Haffkine, who had earlier formulated a vaccine for cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
, do the same for the epidemic. Haffkine's vaccine saved thousands of lives with Veigas personally inoculating around eighteen thousand residents.
As a Goan, he did a lot for his community with active involvement in the uplift and education of Goans.
After his death in 1933, a life-size statue of him was erected in the Cowasji Jehangir Hall
Cowasji Jehangir Hall
The Cowasji Jehangir Hall is a museum of modern art and was part of the Institute of Science prior to 1996. The hall was built in 1911 by George Wittet and funded by Cowasji Jehangir. It is located in Colaba area of Mumbai, India.-References:*...
opposite Metro Cinema
Metro Cinema
thumb|Metro Cinema c.2005Metro BIG Cinema is an Art Deco Heritage grade IIA multiplex Movie theater in Mumbai, India built in 1938. It was built and originally run by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , the Hollywood studio. The main architect of the cinema was Thomas W. Lamb of New York, and D. W...
on his birth centenary in 1956, by the Governor of Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
, Harekrushna Mahtab, as a tribute to the services rendered to the city. A street in the Dhobitalao area is also named after him.