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Celli E La Guerra Alla Malaria

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Celli E La Guerra Alla Malaria GRANDI MEDICI Celli e la guerra alla malaria dell'efficacia dei preparati chininici prodotti li divenne assertore e diffuse attraverso gli At­ dallo Stato in rapporto a un preparato indu­ ti e il Bollettino della Società Italiana per gli di Gilberto Corbellini striale privato, l'Esanof eie prodotto dalla Dit­ Studii della Malaria una concezione della lot­ ta Felice Bisleri. Infatti, mentre Celli si prodi­ ta antimalarica che prevedeva l'utilizzazione n ragione del fatto che nelle campagne gava per l'attuazione della legge del 23 dicem­ secondo diverse combinazioni (e a seconda intorno a Roma, ma anche in alcune zo­ bre 1900 che prevedeva la preparazione da delle condizioni locali) dei diversi strumenti ne della capitale, la malaria rappresenta­ parte dello Stato e quindi la diffusione di varie in grado di agire sia sulle cause efficienti (pa­ va un grave problema sanitario, a parti­ formule abase di chinino, Grassi nel 1901 spe­ rassita e zanzara) sia sulle cause concomitan­ rIe dagli anni Ottanta dell'Ottocento ha opera­ rimentava a Ostia l'Esanof eie, prodotto dalla ti, migliorando l'ambiente, le condizioni di vi­ to nella capitale dell'ancor giovane nazione Felice Bisleri & C. L'Esanofele era in sostanza ta e la «coscienza igienica» delle popolazioni. un nutrito gruppo di medici e biologi, preva­ la «mistura Baccelli», che il clinico romano Secondo l'igienista romano, «il problema di lentemente universitari, che si dedicò allo stu­ aveva inventato nel 1869 per trattare la mala­ liberare dalla malaria il nostro paese è molto dio della malattia riuscendo a produrre risul­ ria cronica, composta di «solfato di chinina, più arduo che a qualche semplicista non sem­ tati di grande rilevanza e richiamo internazio­ tartarato ferro-potassico, acido arsenioso pu­ bra», e poteva ottenersi solo nel contesto di nale. A questo gruppo, tra i quali spiccavano i ro e acqua distillata» secondo proporzioni de­ una collaborazione fra il medico, l'ingegnere nomi di Guido Baccelli, Giuseppe Bastianelli, finite. Le «pillole antimalariche»commercia- idraulico, l'agricoltore e il maestro, vale a dire Amico Bignami, Angelo Celli, Battista Grassi lizzate da Bisleri erano pubblicizzate come do­ come risultato del concorso di interventi sani­ ed Ettore Marchiafava, si tende a riferirsi co­ tate di azione profilattica, curativa e ricosti­ tari, di bonifiche idrauliche, di una adeguata me alla «scuola romana di malariologa», e ad tuente, nonché attive contro i gametociti dei politica del lavoro e della diffusione dell'istru­ attribuire loro il merito di aver concorso alla plasmodi. Dal 1900 diversi medici in varie par­ zione. «Unum tacere et alterum non omitte- messa a punto di un «metodo italiano» di lot­ ti d'Italia furono invitati 0 chiesero di speri­ re» fu il motto che coniò e andò ripetendo, e a ta antimalarica. Nella realtà, piuttosto che agi­ mentare l'Esanof eie. Attraverso una reclama­ cui tutto sommato avrebbe fatto riferimento re in conformità a una comune idea sulla natu- ta sperimentazione effettuata a Ostia nel la malariologia italiana soprattutto dalla me­ ra del problema e con gli stessi obiettivi, que­ 1901, Grassi riteneva di aver dimostrato una tà degli anni Venti. In quest'ottica si compren­ sti medici e biologi diedero luogo a una serie maggiore efficacia del prodotto rispetto ad al­ de l'impegno politico e umanitario di Celli, in­ di intense contrapposizioni e competizioni, tri preparati chininici. Ma i risultati, nonché sieme alla moglie Anna Fraentzel, per lo svi­ per far prevalere ognuno il proprio punto di la correttezza di Grassi nel condurre l'espe­ luppo della legislazione antimalarica, per l'ap­ vista, influenzando anche la politica sanitaria rimento, furono in seguito messi in discus­ plicazione delle leggi sul Chinino di Stato e antimalarica a livello nazionale. Angelo Celli, sione da Angelo Celli. Ne risultò un'asperri­ per la diffusione dell'istruzione tra i contadi­ nato a Cagli nel 1857 fu al centro di questi con­ ma polemica, condotta principalmente sul­ ni. Nondimeno, Celli, per superare le difficol­ trasti. Le critiche sollevate da Celli e quelle ri­ le pagine delle rivista medica «Il Policlini­ tà e i ritardi di interventi che dovevano dipen­ volte a Celli consentono di inquadrare da una co», nell'ambito della quale Grassi e Celli dere dal concorso di più parti sociali, si fece prospettivanon consueta ilconfronto intellet­ non si risparmiarono colpi: mentre Celli promotore «soprattutto» dell'utilizzazione tuale relativo alla questione «malaria in Ita­ concentrava i suoi attacchi contro l'esperi­ profilattica del chinino, che fece accogliere an­ lia», e illustrano anche i tratti personali pecu­ mento di Ostia, sostenendo che molte per­ che a livello legislativo, nel 1904, assicurando liari del grande igienista italiano deceduto sone trattate con Esanofele erano state rico­ la gratuità del farmaco ai poveri e ai lavoratori esattamente cento anni fa a Frascati. verate al S. Spirito con malaria grave e que­ a rischio di contrarre la malaria non solo per sti casi non venivano conteggiati da Grassi, la cura ma anche per la profilassi. Tra Grassi [scopritore nel 1898 delmeccani- questi non si limitava a dimostrare che C elli smo di trasmissione della malaria umana] e aveva informazioni sbagliate, bensì lo accu­ Autori vari, «Angelo Celli», a cura di Celli si scatenò un'intensa polemica su chi sava di essersi appropriato delle sue idee e Stefano Orazi, Sapienza Università avesse per primo praticato e dimostrato la di suoi materiali per pubblicare il libro La Editrice, Roma, 2014, pagg. i84,€ 20,00. profilassi meccanica [uso di reticelle per pro­ malaria secondo le nuove ricerche. Dal libro è tratto l'articolo pubblicato qui teggere le abitazioni dalle zanzare], che si Nel corso dei primi anni del Novecento, Cel­ sopra. estese immediatamente anche alla questione .
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