Carlos J.

Finlay
Cuban Scientist
Early Years
Carlos Juan Finlay was born on Dec, 3 1833, Puerto Principe, Camaguey, Cuba.
He was the son of a Scotch father and a French mother, his family lived in
Trinidad, Santi Espiritu. He developed a speech impediment or a lisp at a young
age. He lived in Europe many years, and returned to Cuba in 1851. Besides
Spanish, he was fluent in English, French, and German.
Later Years
He attended to Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. After Graduation he
settled in Havana, where he practiced general medicine and ophthalmology. In
1879 the U.S Yellow Fever Commission in Havana concluded that Yellow Fever
was transmittable and its vector was airborne. Finlay had written about Yellow
Fever and theorized where it came from.
Later Years
Working closely with the Commission he realized the disease was transmitted by
a mosquito, something very frequent in Cuba. He considered the disease was
carried from the blood of an infected patient to a healthy person. Finlay conducted
103 experiments to prove his theory, but he did not follow protocol and the
experiment did not work. He became the laughingstock of Havana. But in 1900
when the Yellow Fever Board visited Havana, Finlay provided them with evidence
and was finally admired.
Why is it important?
Carlos J. Finlay is a national hero, his research was important because he helped
figure out the cause of the deadly disease Yellow Fever. I chose him because he is
a national hero, and is recognized as the best scientist Cuba has ever had.
Sources
"Finlay, Carlos Juan." Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. . Encyclopedia.com. 15 Mar. 2017 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.