User:Fvasconcellos/Oscar Freire

Oscar Freire de Carvalho (October 3, 1882 – January 11, 1923) was a Brazilian physician and forensic scientist. Freire is credited with introducing forensic medicine as a properly structured discipline in Brazil.

Early life
Freire was born in Salvador, Bahia, on October 3, 1882, to Manuel and Isaura Freire de Carvalho. His father was a lawyer. At the age of 14, Freire entered the Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia (now the Faculty of Medicine of the Federal University of Bahia), where he studied under Raimundo Nina Rodrigues, one of the forefathers of Brazilian forensic science, who would become his friend and mentor. Freire taught since his fourth year of medical school, and published extensively throughout his undergraduate studies. By the time he graduated in 1900, he was already well known for his work.

Freire began practicing as a surgeon, but his interests soon turned to forensic medicine. In 1906, he founded the Instituto Médico-Legal Nina Rodrigues (IMLNR), named in honor of his former professor, who had died earlier that year. In 1907, he became adjunct professor of Hygiene and Legal Medicine, and in 1911, after a government-mandated restructuring of forensic science services in the state of Bahia, the first director of the IMLNR. Two years later, he was named adjunct professor of Natural History at the Escola Politécnica da Bahia, and promoted to department chair of Legal Medicine at his alma mater in 1914.

Later work
In 1917, Freire was invited by Arnaldo Vieira de Carvalho, founder of the Faculdade de Medicina de São Paulo (which would later become the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo), to hold its newly created chair of Legal Medicine. In February 1918, he arrived in São Paulo with his family in tow, and taught an inaugural lesson that has been described as "magnificent". Classes began in earnest on April 18, in the school's Institute of Hygiene, and were later moved to a dedicated building, designed by Ramos de Azevedo at Freire's request; Freire personally followed construction of the building and provided input on its design.

Freire founded two learned societies and worked extensively as a medical examiner and forensic scientist in the state of São Paulo.

Freire died of pneumonia in 1923, at the age of 40; he was survived by his wife, Marieta, and two children. He was penniless at the time of his death, and the São Paulo state government paid for his body to be returned to Salvador.

Legacy
Five days after Freire's death, the forensic medicine department of the Faculdade de Medicina de São Paulo was renamed the Oscar Freire Institute (Instituto Oscar Freire) in his honor, and is officially known as such to this day. Freire is now perhaps best known for the street that bears his name, one of the most luxurious shopping districts in the world.