What is it about?

After a long itinerary on the path of Santiago Ramon y Cajal, the prestigious Spanish neuropathologist Jordi (Jorge) Cervós Navarro passed away on the 14th of November, 2021 at the age of 91. Cervós Navarro was born on the 9th of January, 1930, in Barcelona, four years before Santiago Ramón y Cajal’s death

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Why is it important?

Cervós Navarro even from the years of his medical studies expressed a strong interest in Psychiatry and Philosophy. Thus, after his graduation started working in the Department of Psychiatry of the Hospital de Santa Engràcia, but very soon he decided to continue his studies in Innsbruck, Austria, where he remained only for three months, given that he realized that the psychanalytical approach of the mental disorders was rather speculative and theoretical than based on strong evidence. Cervós Navarro positively thinking, was wishing for a definite and scientifically proven etiopathological and diagnostic approach to mental diseases. That was the main reason that he turned to the field of Neurosciences and particularly Neuropathology. In a parallel way, Cajal had also a strong interest in Psychology and Psychiatry and tried to find an interpretation of the psychological and psychiatric phenomena based on the functional or pathological declination of the nerve cells, which as instruments of the psyche, were called by him “butterflies of the soul” (mariposas del alma).

Perspectives

Jorge Cervós Navarro was honored as Doctor honoris casa from the University of Madrid (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), the University of Zaragoza (1984), Barcelona, Tokushima (Japain), Saransk (Russia), Leibniz University of Hannove (Germany). In 2009, he was honored as doctor honoris causa from the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Greece, and released an excellent very stimulating lecture on research and medical ethics, during his inauguration. Among the many high distinctions that he was awarded for his extensive scientific contribution were the St. George Cross, the Grand Cross of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the cross of Alfonso X of Spain. He was also an honorary member of seven professional societies in Europe and overseas as well as a member of the Moscow Academy of Sciences. On the 14th of November at 18:50 Jorge Cervos Navarro “gave his soul to God peacefully and accompanied by his family”. Santiago Ramon y Cajal “the painter of the neuronal forest” was awarded The Prix Fauvelle of the Societe de Biologie of Paris, the Nobel Prize for Medicine (1906) in conjunction with Camillo Golgi, the Prussian Order of Merit. The Royal Society in England in 1909 elected him a Foreign Member. In Latin America, the physicians offered substantial financial support to secure the publication of his work on nerve degeneration and regeneration. In Madrid, his statue was erected and the Cajal’s Institute was established on the hill of San Blas by a royal decree by King Alfonso XIII. Jorge Cervós Navarro and Santiago Ramon y Cajal passed away peacefully at an advanced age. During their long life, they became paradigms of wisdom, the strength of intellect and character, honesty, purity of the heart, kindness, dedication to science, research, and men of high moral values. They have honored “in maximum” the Neurosciences and the Neurophilosophy by their scientific contributions and inspired many young investigators all over the world in following their illuminated paths.

Professor Stavros J Baloyannis or Balogiannis or Balojannis or Baloyiannis or Mpalogiannis
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

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This page is a summary of: Obituary Notices Jorge Cervós Navarro (1930- 2021): On the path of Don Santiago, Journal of Neurology & Stroke, January 2021, MedCrave Group LLC,
DOI: 10.15406/jnsk.2021.11.00479.
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