[Antiquitates Veronensiae]

1648

de Beer Itc 1648 P

[Padua]: Pauli Frambotti

For nearly 40 years, my research interests have included the causes and control of breast cancer and cervical cancer. A famous pioneer in cancer epidemiology was an Italian surgeon, Domenico Rigoni-Stern (b.1810). In 1842 he published a classic paper, analysing the deaths attributed to cancer in the population of Verona between 1760 and 1839. He concluded that single [‘nubile’] women – a group which included many nuns – had a higher risk of breast cancer, but a lower risk of uterine cancer, than married women. The majority of uterine malignancies in those days would have been cervical cancers. Many subsequent studies have confirmed a low risk of cervical cancer among nuns. In lecturing on this subject, both here and overseas, I have wanted to show a picture of Verona in earlier times. I found this beautiful engraving in Special Collections which was donated to the University by Dr Esmond de Beer.
(Chosen by Professor David Skegg, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Otago)