Carlo Forlanini
Carlo Forlanini (11 June 1847 – 26 May 1918), a medical doctor professor at the universities of Turin and Pavia, was the inventor of artificial pneumothorax, a method that allowed a first significant victory in the long war of medicine against pulmonary tuberculosis. Biography. Carlo Forlanini was born in Milan on 11 June 1847, and was the eldest of four brothers and one sister. His father, Giuseppe Forlanini, was a physician, his mother was died of pulmonary phthisis. He was initially undecided whether to start a career in engineering or medicine but finally decided on the latter. After high  school studies, Forlanini enrolled in the medical faculty of the University of Pavia in 1864 as a pupil of the Borromeo College. His medical studies at Pavia were temporarily interrupted in 1866 when he volunteered to serve under Garibaldi, in the battles of Monte Suello and Bezzecca. Back in Pavia he published his first scientific work in 1868 and linked himself to a fraternal friendship with Giulio Bizzozero and Camillo Golgi (1843-1926), who was later to achieve eminence as a histologist and received the Nobel Prize in 1906. In 1870 he graduated in medicine under the guidance of the  ophtalmologist Antonio Quaglino with a thesis about “Contribuzione alla teoria della Piogenesi”. After qualification, Forlanini was at first attracted towards the specialty of ophthalmology and in 1871 published a paper on inflammation of the lens, "Studio sperimentale sulla inflammazione del cristallino." In the same year he moved bak to Milan, where he worked in the Ospedale Maggiore for the next 13 years. He worked in the departments of chronic diseases, eye diseases, and skin diseases, becoming the head of the skin department in 1881; but his interest in general medicine and especially in diseases of the lungs and tuberculosis remained  his priority. During these years he started to conceive devices that could increase lung ventilation, helped by his younger brother, Enrico, a gifted engineer who was one of the pioneers of air flight. In 1875, Carlo Forlanini, founded the Pneumotherapy Society and with the help of his brother he founded also the Pneumatic Insitute of Milan and, from 1881, he was also chief physician for skin diseases. He later became assistant professor and chief physician to the medical wards, which included beds for tuberculous patients. Meanwhile, he began a series of attempts to treat tuberculosis and lung diseases with forced  respiratory movements and with aerotherapy to increase blood flow and air supply to the lung. With the scientific collaboration of his brother Enrico, he would also build some of the first hyperbaric chambers. He observed some positive results in the treatment of pulmonary emphysema and also some mild improvement in phthisis. Soon, however, Forlanini began to develop opposite therapeutic considerations for pulmonary tuberculosis. It was not the respiratory act of advantage to the sick lung, but rest.   In 1884 Forlanini began his university career at the University of Turin and obtained the position of “extraordinarius” professor of “Clinica medica preparatoria ” (preparatory medical clinic). Soon he became full professor of special medical pathology. He remained in Turin until 1889, then he returned to Pavia, first on a provisional teaching of special medical demonstrative pathology and, from 1900, at the age of 53, he obtained the chair of clinical medicine at Pavia. Forlanini had a passion for teaching and prepared his lectures meticulously, making him a popular teacher. Among his students there were Umberto Carpi, Eugenio Morelli, and Scipione Riva-Rocci. Carpi and Morelli were later to make important contributions to the collapse therapy of pulmonary tuberculosis, while Riva-Rocci achieved fame  when he introduced the first practical sphygmomanometer in 1896. Meanwhile, Forlanini made his operation practicing artificial pneumothorax. Presenting it with a report held on 2 April 1894 at the eleventh international medical congress of Rome and, the following year, with a lecture at the italian congress of internal medicine. However, the reaction by the medical community was not extremely positive and artificial pneumothorax found oppositions and objections. Anyway, year by year Forlanini improved and promoted his method and, on aprile 1912, he held a famous lecture in Rome entitled “Artificial pneumothorax in the treatment of pulmonary phthisis” at the seventh  international congress on tubercolosis. The presentation obtained a great ovation and, after thirty years of studies on pneumothorax, he finally obtained full international recognition. Forlanini had an attractive personality, was a good conversationalist, and was cultured in music and art. He was very much the beloved physician to his hospital patients and was content to pursue his researches without desire for personal aggrandisement. Forlanini did not marry. In 1913 he was nominated senator of the kingdom member of the council of public education. His friend and fellow professor at the University of Pavia, Camillo Golgi (Nobel Prize winner for 1906 ), proposed him three times for the Nobel Prize with the motivation that the invention of pneumothorax was “of great benefit to humanity”. However, the Nobel Prize was not awarded in the years of the First World War between 1915 and 1918, and in this last year Forlanini died. During the years of the First World his health gradually declined: Forlanini suffered from severe attacks of migraine, but his terminal illness was due to an abdominal malignancy, probably carcinoma of the pancreas. He died at Nervi , on the Ligurian Riviera, in his 71st year on 25 May 1918. Today the "Carlo  Forlanini Institute" in Rome, founded in 1934, is named in his honor. The Nobel Prize. From 1912 to 1919, Forlanini was nominated at least 20 times for the Nobel Prize, all of his nominators were Italian professors of medicine. They put forward several arguments to try to convince the prize jury why Forlanini should be seen as “the person who shall have made the most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine. Three of the nominations for Forlanini were submitted by his close friend Camillo Golgi (1843 to 1926) from Pavia, who, as a former Nobel Laureate (1906 ) had the right to propose a candidate each year (NA, yearbooks of 1912, 1917, 1919), he nominated Forlanini because he was convinced that the invention of pneumothorax was a turning point in the fight against tuberculosis . Because at least some members of the Nobel committee saw great potential in PNX, Forlanini was viewed as one of the prime Nobel Prize candidates during 1913 and 1914. But as a matter of facts, he never received the Prize. The prize Jury voted in favor of other candidates because they judged the PNX method neither original nor brilliant enough to warrant a Nobel  Prize anche associated it with high risks for the patiences. The Hospital. When Forlanini died in 1918, his many pupils and admirers, both Italian and foreign, wished to create a suitable living memorial to the master. A research fund for the study of tuberculosis was founded in his name shortly after his death. Chiefly through the inspiration of his favorite pupil, Eugenio Morelli (1881-1968), the Carlo Forlanini Institute in Rome was founded in 1934. Morelli was the first director (1934-1945) and he was succeeded by his pupil Attilio Omedei- Zonini (1945-68), who was followed by a series  of distinguished Italian physiologists. The Hospital was used as a sanatorium, specifically opened for all those who suffered from tuberculosis. The building is in the middle of a 280,000 sq.m park because, before the discovery of anti-TB drugs with bactericidal and bacteriostatic activity, TB was treated with the rest in a hygienic and well ventilated place. In order to contain the costs of health care, the company hospital S. Camillo-Forlanini decided to close the hospital Forlanini within December 31, 2008 and to transfer its assets and services to the S. Camillo. In 2015 the hospital was closed definitely , its pneumatology departments  were merged with the San Camillo ones, while its thoracic surgery wards were included in the Spallanzani hospital. Nowadays “Carlo Forlanini Hospital” is located  in Piazza Carlo Forlanini 1 and it is part of the hospital organization San Camillo-Forlanini-Spallanzani. External links. San Camillo-Forlanini-Spallanzani - Archivio Storico Portuense 2.0 <nowiki>http://www.arvaliastoria.it/public/post/san-camillo-forlanini-spallanzani-155.asp</nowiki> FORLANINI, Carlo in "Dizionario Biografico" <nowiki>https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/carlo-forlanini_%28Dizionario-Biografico%29/</nowiki> Forlanini, Carlo in Pavia University History Museum website <nowiki>http://musei.unipv.eu/msu/our-museums/historical-figures/forlanini-carlo/</nowiki> Forlanini , Carlo in PraBook website <nowiki>https://prabook.com/web/carlo.forlanini/2487625</nowiki> Forlanini, Carlo in Peoplepill website <nowiki>https://peoplepill.com/people/carlo-forlanini</nowiki> Forlanini, Carlo in Torino scienza website <nowiki>https://www.torinoscienza.it/personaggi/carlo-forlanini</nowiki> Mainardi G., Personaggi della Scienza, Carlo Forlanini, in Pavia e dintorni website <nowiki>http://www.paviaedintorni.it/temi/personaggi_file/personaggi_scienza_file/personaggi_scienza_forlanini.htm</nowiki> Discussioni del Senato del Regno, Indice Alfabetico ed Analitico, Atti Parlamentari Senato della Repubblica1918-1919 <nowiki>http://notes9.senato.it/web/senregno.nsf/8c58c55c1230e7f8c125703d002fe257/ca0a03fda367ac884125646f005bcf37/$FILE/1013_Forlanini_IndiciAP.pdf</nowiki> Senato della Repubblica, Scheda dell’Attività Parlamentare del Sen. Carlo Forlanini, 1913-18 <nowiki>http://notes9.senato.it/web/senregno.nsf/8c58c55c1230e7f8c125703d002fe257 /ca0a03fda367ac884125646f005bcf37?OpenDocument</nowiki>