XXVI II 



in France, but the revolutionary movements of that year 

 obliged him to remain for a short time in London, and during 

 "iic year in a school at Mentz on the Rhine. I [e entered college 

 at last in Rouen where he continued liis studies until L85] 

 when he returned to Cuba to convalesce from an attack of 

 typhoid fever. The Spanish law at the time would not validate 

 for the degree of Bachelor in Alls, the college courses followed 

 in France, and he came to Philadelphia where the said degree 

 was not necessary for the study of Medicine. 



lie graduated in Medicine on the 10th of March 1855 

 from the Jefferson Medical College, the same institution 

 which had contributed to the development of the genius of 

 Marion Sims and of Brown-Séquard. Of the members of that 

 distinguished Faculty, the one who seems to have most 

 profoundly influenced the mind of our student, was John 

 Kearsly Mitchell, the first to maintain systematically the germ 

 theory id' disease. The son of Professor Mitchell, Dr. S. Weil 

 Mitchell, famous today as physician and author, then recently 

 arrived from Paris and from the laboratories of Claude Ber- 

 nard, was the private preceptor of the Cuban student, and a 

 bond of friendship that has endured to this day, was 

 established between them. "I endeavored, Dr. Mitchell 

 writes me. in vain to pursuade Finlay. who was three years a 

 student in my office — indeed was my first student — to settle 

 in Xew York where there were many Spaniards and many 

 Cubans. Fortunately he made up Ins mind not to take my 

 advice." 



Dr. Finlay incorporated his diploma in the University of 

 Havana in 1857, and began the practice of his profession. 



Thi' spirit of adventure prevails in the Finlay family, as 

 I have heard the Doctor say. His father practiced medicine in 

 various places and countries, and one of his uncles A\as a 

 follower of Bolivar in the war for independence in South 

 America. The life of our Finlay shows to some extent the 

 same tendency. Recently graduated, in 1856, he went to Lima, 

 Peru, with his father to court success in medical practice; he 

 returned to < fuba, hut once again the experiment was tried for 

 a few months in the following year with the same results. 

 In 1860-61 we find him in Paris following the hospital clinics 

 and taking up some special studies. Tn 1864 he endeavored 

 for a few months to establish himself in practice in the then 

 flourishing city of Matanzas, not far from Havana. Wherever 

 he went he took up the practice of general Medicine 

 specializing somewhat in ophthalmic surgery. 



