HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE DR. LUIS MA. GUERRERO

MEMORIAL LECTURES

By Willie Lagdameo

          That the three centuries of Spanish colonization of the Philippines left an imprint of a distinctly classic refinement in our culture cannot be denied. It was a culture where men had the gallantry and chivalry typical of the gentlemen of feudal ages especially among the educated elite. To this breed, belongs the man in whose memory this lecture series is dedicated  -Dr. Luis Guerrero.

          Dr. Guerrero, who was the personification of sound relationship, professional idealism and unselfish patriotism, was a venerable product of an equally venerable institution - the University of Santo Tomas. He had the distinction of occupying the leadership in two areas of specialization, namely Infectious Disease and Pediatrics and probably the only doctor of his time who simultaneously served as professor and chairman of two Colleges of Medicine, The Department of Pediatrics of the University of Santo Tomas and the Department of Medicine of the University of the Philippines.

          An eminent medical practitioner and illustrious professor, Dr. Guerrero served as Dean of our Faculty from 1945 to his retirement in 1949 and became its first Dean Emeritus. It is in his honor that this lecture series tries to immortalize the qualities and ideals he exemplified in his lifetime.

          This historic memorial lecture started on July 3,1951, the first anniversary of his death. The organizer perhaps envisioned that it would soon become a series of lectures whose boundaries have no limits.

          The first Luis Guerrero Memorial Lecture was delivered by Dr. Antonio Ejercito, Chief of the Malaria Division of the Department of Health. His lecture was entitled "Studies on the Treatment of Malaria". The subject matter was of extreme relevance and importance soon after the end of the second world war, during which many soldiers of different nationalities died of malaria in different areas of the global war.

          The next five Memorial Lectures were delivered by prominent physicians from the two local medical colleges and the topics discussed reflected problems in Medicine in the Philippines. However, since Dr. Mariano Alimurung, the organizer of this memorial lecture, frequently traveled abroad attending international conferences, he cultivated the habit of meeting eminent physicians and scientist and inviting them to deliver a Luis Guerrero Lecture. Increasingly then, the memorial lectures reflected international flavor and expanded the scope to international problems and advances in both the basic and clinical sciences in Medicine. A number of the Luis Guerrero Memorial Lecturers were by word in Medicine: the eminent cardiologist of Harvard, Paul Dudley White, delivered the 42nd Memorial lecture in 1956; the famous cardiovascular surgeon from Houston, Michael DeBakey spoke in 1958; the author of the bible in Gastroenterology, Henry Bockus was here in 1960. The 92nd Memorial Lecture was Standing Room - Only when a Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology / Medicine spoke on "The Chemical Basis of Heredity - the Genetic Code". Dr. Severo Ochoa was one of the three Nobel Peace laureates who lent prestige to the Luis Guerrero Memorial Lecture. In 1965, it was Sir John Eccles of Australia who won the Prize for his work on the transmission of nerve impulses. In 1975 it was the Polish-American, Dr. Andrew Victor Schalley who discovered the first hypothalamic hormone, the thyrotropin-releasing hormone. The topics discussed dealt not only with Basic or Clinical Medicine but were really varied. The author of the official textbook in Pediatrics, Waldo Nelson, spoke on Education and training in Pediatrics. When the number of foreign medical graduates in the US alarmed American physicians, one lecturer talked about FMGs in USA. A Dutch otorhinolaryngologist speculated on what was going on in the nose of Michael Haydn and the ear of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The 7th President of the Republic of the Philippines Corazon C. Aquino spoke on "Of Miracles: Great & Small".

           The list of august speakers, both from Philippine shores and foreign continents, along with their acclaimed topics, continue to be entered in the book of history of the Office of Continuing Medical Education. The Office of CME has been continuing this noble tradition of recognizing these academic scientists.

          As the Memorial lecture is delivered, one cannot but reflect on the greatness of the doctor gentleman, the silent worker and leader, the epitome of excellence. As one looks at the portrait of Dr. Luis Guerrero, he is led to ponder on what Confucius once said: "The superior man is ashamed when his words exceed his deeds."