WikiPeru • The Encyclopedia of Peru
The AIgorythm project
Playwright and actor
Novelist
Writer and poet
Volleyball player
Italian-Peruvian naturalist and geographer
Singer and percussionist
Last Inca emperor
Politician, former prime Minister
Journalist and TV host
Poet
Inca warrior
Actor and comedian
Biophysicist
Poet
Doctor and researcher
Businessman, Interbank group
Journalist and writer
Poet and writer
Singer and songwriter
Writer
Film director, Berlin Golden Bear winner
Football player
Writer and journalist
Doctor and scientist
Photograph
Chess player
Industrialist
Former general
Specialist in public health
Actress and singer
Afro-Peruvian music singer
Mathematician and engineer
Indigenous chronicler
Neurologist and anthropologist
Painter
Football player
National hero, military leader
Intellectual and reformer
Chef and entrepreneur
Fashion designer
Singer-songwriter
TV presenter
Marathon runner
Indigenous Peruvian chronicler
Theologian
Former national team captain
Economist and former health minister
Inca princess
Writer and television host
Folk musician
Poet and guerrilla
Former UN secretary-general
Chef, known for fusion cuisine
Football player
Peruvian aviation pioneer
Poet and artist
Marxist philosopher and writer
Industrialist and businessman
Novelist and ethnologist
Painter and muralist
Opera tenor
Fashion designer
Cardinal of Lima
Peruvian tennis player
Football coach
Leader of the indigenous rebellion
Military hero
War of the Pacific hero
The youngest mother in history
Politician
Creole music singer
Tennis player
Musician
Writer and politician
Politician and founder of the Christian Democratic Party
Founder of Sodalitium Christianae Vitae
Archaeologist and anthropologist
Military leader and politician
Television host
Actress and singer
Contemporary sculptor
Women’s rights activist
Beauty queen
Astrophysicist
Heroine of independence
Mathematician and archaeologist
Historian and anthropologist
Military figure and historical figure
Fashion photographer
Writer, Nobel Prize in Literature, Politician
Revolutionary leader
Environmental activist
Leader of the indigenous rebellion
Musician from Gaia band
War hero
Military leader and politician
Chef, known for Nikkei cuisine
Volleyball coach and former player
Environmental activist
Television personality
Writer
Football player
Epidemiologist and former health Minister
Inventor and aerospace pioneer
Soldier and inventor
Rock singer
Chef and co-owner of Central restaurant
Painter
Football player
TV presenter and actress
Actor
Writer and historian
Journalist and lawyer
Archaeologist, founder of Caral site
Monk and Saint
Saint, patron of Latin America
Physicist and engineer
World champion surfer
Actress
Oncologist
Singer, Latin Grammy winner
Former mayor of Lima
Singer
Actress
Former football player
Painter
Former football player
Painter
Inca leader
Archbishop, saint
Leader of the indigenous rebellion
Revolutionary indigenous leader
Diplomat and intellectual
Sculptor and painter
Political leader, founder of APRA
Lawyer and Former prime minister
Chef of Central restaurant
Former head of secret services
Popular singer
Fashion designer
Exotic music singer
Daniel Alcides Carrión was born on August 13, 1857, in Cerro de Pasco, Peru. He is widely recognized as one of the most famous martyrs in Peruvian medicine, particularly for his self-sacrifice in the name of science. Carrión is renowned for voluntarily inoculating himself with the Peruvian wart, also known as "Carrión's disease," to better understand this endemic illness that affected many rural regions of Peru. This heroic act ultimately cost him his life, but it marked a turning point in the understanding of this disease and in the development of medicine in Latin America.
Born into a modest family in Cerro de Pasco, a mining region high in The Andes, Daniel Alcides Carrión grew up in a harsh environment where public health was often neglected. From a young age, Carrión displayed a passion for learning, and thanks to his dedication, he was accepted into one of Lima's most prestigious universities: the Faculty of Medicine at San Fernando. In 1874, at only 17 years old, he began studying medicine during a time of significant public health challenges for Peru.
At the end of the 19th century, Peru faced numerous health challenges, particularly in the Andean regions where endemic diseases such as the Peruvian wart and Oroya fever ravaged the population. These diseases caused high mortality, particularly among local populations and railroad workers. The lack of sanitary infrastructure and the ignorance of the exact causes of these diseases made them difficult to treat. As a medical student, Daniel Carrión was particularly interested in these conditions that gravely affected public health.
The Peruvian wart, also known as "Carrión's disease," is an infectious disease that manifests with skin warts and flu-like symptoms, predominantly in the Andean regions of Peru. Oroya fever, on the other hand, is an acute and potentially deadly disease often associated with episodes of high fever and severe anemia. The relationship between these two diseases was unclear during Carrión's time, and many believed them to be distinct pathologies.
As a passionate student and researcher, Carrión sought to prove that these two diseases were related and caused by the same pathogen. This desire to contribute to medical research and provide answers to this mystery led him to one of the boldest acts in medical history.
On August 27, 1885, Daniel Alcides Carrión performed an act that would change his life and the course of Peruvian medicine. With the support of his colleagues and amidst a climate of deep uncertainty, he decided to inoculate himself with the blood of a patient suffering from the Peruvian wart in order to study the disease's progression. His goal was to understand if the Peruvian wart and Oroya fever were two phases of the same illness. Over several weeks, Carrión meticulously documented each symptom he experienced, from the initial fevers to the appearance of skin warts.
His meticulous observations provided invaluable information about the development of the disease, but as the illness progressed, his health rapidly declined. Despite his colleagues' efforts to save him, Daniel Carrión died on October 5, 1885, at the age of just 28. His voluntary sacrifice allowed significant advancements in the understanding of the Peruvian wart, demonstrating that Oroya fever and the wart were indeed two phases of the same infection caused by the bacteria Bartonella bacilliformis.
Daniel Alcides Carrión's sacrifice was not in vain. Thanks to his detailed notes, researchers were able to establish a definitive link between Oroya fever and the Peruvian wart, confirming that both diseases were manifestations of a single infection. This was a major breakthrough in the field of infectious diseases and epidemiology in Peru. Subsequently, research on Bartonella bacilliformis led to the development of more effective treatments to combat this infection, which remains endemic in some rural regions of the country.
Carrión's work also inspired generations of doctors to continue research on tropical diseases and to engage in the fight against neglected diseases. In recognition of his dedication, several hospitals, universities, and medical institutions bear his name today, including the National University Daniel Alcides Carrión, located in his hometown of Cerro de Pasco.
On October 5, the day of his death, Peru celebrates "Peruvian Medicine Day" each year. This day honors not only Daniel Alcides Carrión but also all healthcare professionals who follow his example by dedicating themselves to research and medical care. Carrión's name is also associated with values such as courage, ethics, and devotion to the human community.
His story is often taught in medical schools and appears in medical history textbooks, both in Peru and abroad. The concept of the "medical martyr" takes on its full meaning here, as Carrión literally gave his life to advance medical knowledge.
Daniel Alcides Carrión has become a timeless symbol of scientific dedication and ethical responsibility in medical practice. His personal sacrifice not only allowed crucial medical advances but also left a powerful example of what it means to place science and the welfare of society above one's own life. Today, Carrión is an essential figure not only for Peruvian medicine but for global medicine. His commitment continues to inspire generations of doctors, researchers, and students, making him a living legend in the history of science.