II National Congress of Paediatrics: The fight against child mortality

In the present work, we present an overview of the contents of the communications presented at the Second National Congress of Paediatrics, held in San Sebastian in 1923, on the occasion of the 100th year anniversary. The problem of infant mortality stands out as a common thread, which in those years was very high in Spain and was a concern of politicians, intellectuals and the medical profession. It is worth noting that some of the proposals and concerns of the paediatricians who attended that congress continue to be relevant today.

[On the 50th anniversary of Anales de Pediatría, official publication of the Spanish Association of Paediatrics]

The 50th Anniversary of Anales de Pediatría is a good time for the celebration of events and tributes, and also for critical thought. Anales de Pediatría is the official publication of scientific expression of the Spanish Association of Paediatrics (AEP). It has been published continuously since October 1968. Anales has contributed so much to the narrative of the advances in Spanish paediatrics, as well as the AEP. Throughout its 50 years of history, the editorial teams of the journal have worked to streamline its management, improve the quality of the content, and to ensure its dissemination and national-international visibility. From 1968 to 1972, Anales was published as a Journal-bulletin. From 1977 until 2000, presence of original articles. Since the year 2000, continuous modernisation and recognition with international journals of prestige, indexing in SCI-JCR, impact from 2009, electronic management of manuscripts, Spanish/English from the 2014 Edition. The evolution of the journal is reviewed in this article. With this, the AEP history committee wants to collaborate in a greater understanding of the development of Spanish paediatrics, as well as to present the history of Anales to its authors and readers. The History committee proposes that a small percentage of space is destined for the humanities and to the humanisation of paediatrics. Best information will ensure the best care for children and also for paediatricians.

[Roberto Nóvoa Santos, 75 years later 1885-1993]

In the first quarter of the twentieth century, a period known as "The Silver Age of Spanish culture," Prof. D. Roberto Nóvoa Santos (La Coruña, 1885 -Santiago de Compostela, 1933) stands out as a key figure in the so-called "Generation Marañón" (Granjel, 1986, Gracia (1987). Chairman Professor of General Pathology at the University of Santiago (1912) and later at the Central University of Madrid (1927), Dr. Nóvoa Santos exercised the mastery and dedication to teaching until his untimely death at the age of forty-eight. His most important academic work: Manual de Patología General (Handbook of General Pathology), with eight published editions, was a text book reference for several generations of physicians and students since its first edition in 1916 until the 50's. The Psychopathology General is a chapter included into the pathophysiology. A profound philosophical and thoughtful connotation is evident in all his production, with more than 250 manuscripts in which he reflects an ongoing debate between Positivism and Spiritualism in search for the ultimate Truth. Dr Nóvoa's work is enhanced 75 years after his death. Reproducing Marañón's words: "The most transparent and emotive word that passed through the Spanish University."