Giuseppe
Brotzu (1895-1976), for over thirty years Professor of Hygiene in the Medical
Faculty of the University of Cagliari, had a pivotal role in the academic,
political and social life of Sardinia. Rector of the University of Cagliari,
Superintendent of Public Health during the campaign against malaria, he
later held the prestigious offices of Mayor of the City of Cagliari and
of President of the Sardinian Government. As a scientist his fame is due
to the discovery of cephalosporins that he made in Cagliari, at the end
of the 2nd World War, with the sole help of his friend and pupil Antonio
Spanedda.
For his contribution to science he was awarded in 1971 the honorary degree in Science (3) by the Oxford University and in 1972 the Diploma by the National Research Development Corporation (4).
To illustrate the figure and the achievements of Professor Giuseppe Brotzu we report here, together with some documents and the text (1) of his article describing the properties of Cephalosporium acremonium, the abstract (2) of the lecture given by his former assistant Professor Bachisio Scarpa currently chairman of the Department of Hygiene, in the occasion of the Symposium for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the discovery of Cephalosporins.
