In March, remembering him, the officials, lecturers, and students of Yersin University Dalat once again come to Khanh Hoa – Nha Trang to light incense to commemorate him. Because to us, he is still a MASTER, and we are always proud to be working under a school named after him – A. YERSIN.
There have been numerous articles, images, and documentaries about the life, career, and noble qualities of Dr. Alexandre Yersin. Today, in writing this article, the author only hopes once again to express the feelings of oneself as well as those of all the officials, lecturers, and students of Yersin University Dalat to the person – the Doctor who dedicated his entire life to dedication, sharing, and sacrifice.
Born in 1863 in Aubonne, Vaud (Switzerland), Alexandre Yersin studied medicine in Lausanne before moving to Marburg (Germany), and finally to Paris (France). In 1886, he started working at Louis Pasteur’s research laboratory. In 1888, at the age of 25, Yersin received his doctorate. He joined the Pasteur Institute, which was established in 1889, along with Roux, to discover the toxin of the bacillus of dysentery. In 1890, Yersin left his job at the Pasteur Institute and set off to Indochina as a doctor for the Maritime Transportation Company on the Saigon – Manila and Saigon – Hai Phong routes. In 1891, he first set foot in Nha Trang and fell in love with this land, deciding to stay here. He built a house in Xom Con and opened a clinic, becoming the first European doctor to practice in the area.
In 1894, the French government and the Pasteur Institute asked Yersin to go to Hong Kong to research the plague. There, in a small tent near the hospital, the outstanding student of Pasteur discovered the great work: the germ of the plague. He named the bacterium he found Pasteurella Pestis to honor his great mentor before the scientific community changed it to Yersinia Pestis.
From 1895 to 1897, Yersin continued his work on the plague. In 1895, he returned to the Pasteur Institute in Paris with Emile Roux, Albert Calmette, and Amédée Borrel, preparing for the first anti-plague serum. Also in this year, Yersin set up a small laboratory in Nha Trang for research purposes. In 1898, the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang was inaugurated.
In 1902, at the request of the Governor-General of French Indochina, Paul Doumer, Yersin went to Hanoi to establish the Indochina Medical College, now known as Hanoi Medical University. He designed the curriculum based on the French university model: mornings were spent in hospital wards, afternoons in lectures; personally teaching physics, chemistry, and surgery. Two years later, when everything was running smoothly, he resigned to devote himself fully to research.
Returning to Nha Trang, Yersin lived closely with the villagers. He was called “Mr. Five” according to the military medical rank. The doctor charged for consultations from those who could afford it, but provided free services to the poor, often giving candy or money to buy gifts to children.
If on July 29, 1891, he set foot on the coast of Nha Trang for the first time, then just 2 years later, on June 21, 1893, he discovered Dalat, forever imprinting his name in its history of formation and development. Today, Dalat has Yersin Street, Dalat University, and Yersin Park – That is also the way Dalat people express their gratitude to him.
In March, remembering him, the officials, lecturers, and students of Yersin University Dalat once again come to Khanh Hoa – Nha Trang to light incense to commemorate him. Because to us, he is not just a doctor, a scientist, the one who discovered the city of Dalat, but he is also a TEACHER. And we are always proud to be working under a school named after him – A. YERSIN.
Thuy Hanh
