After being ravished by a bloody civil war in the 1860 s, Venezuela's healthcare system was very precarious. In this context, one particularly bright medical student stood out, José Gregorio Hernández. As part of a program to modernize medicine in Venezuela, José Gregorio was sent on a scholarship to pursue medical studies in Europe. He brought back to Venezuela equipment and medical knowledge in bacteriology and pathophysiology. This was instrumental in laying the foundations for major healthcare modernization in Venezuela. Throughout his life, José Gregorio negotiated his intense Catholic faith, with his scientific leanings as a physician. His untimely tragic death in 1919 elevated him to a saintly status amongst Venezuelans. Consequently, his image became a powerful symbol for practitioners of prescientific medicine.

中文翻译：

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何塞·格雷戈里奥·埃尔南德斯：委内瑞拉医学和宗教的十字路口

在 1860 年代被一场血腥的内战蹂躏后，委内瑞拉的医疗体系非常不稳定。在这种情况下，一位特别聪明的医学生脱颖而​​出，何塞·格雷戈里奥·埃尔南德斯 (José Gregorio Hernández)。作为委内瑞拉医学现代化计划的一部分，何塞·格雷戈里奥获得奖学金，前往欧洲从事医学研究。他将细菌学和病理生理学方面的设备和医学知识带回委内瑞拉。这有助于为委内瑞拉的主要医疗保健现代化奠定基础。在他的一生中，何塞·格雷戈里奥（José Gregorio）以他作为医生的科学倾向与他强烈的天主教信仰进行谈判。他在 1919 年不幸去世，使他在委内瑞拉人中成为圣人。因此，他的形象成为先验医学从业者的有力象征。