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Ramazzini was born in Carpi on 4 October 1633 according to his birth certificate. His parents were Bartolomeo Ramazzini and Caterina Federzoni. He studied medicine from the age of 19 at the University of Parma, where his interest in occupational diseases began. He then moved to Rome and attended the lectures of Antonio Maria de Rossi. He practiced medicine in Viterbo. where he suffered from malaria.
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Career
He was invited by Marquis Alfonso Molza as court physician to Duke Francis II in 1671. He was made chair of theory of medicine at University of Modena in 1682 alongside Francesco Torti. Here he became interested in the relationships between climate and epidemics. In 1693 he was elected to Caesarean-Leopoldine Academy with the title of Terzo Ippocrate ["Third Hippocrates"]. He then served as professor of medicine at the University of Padua from 1700 until his death. He is often called "the father of occupational medicine"
Occupational medicine
His book on occupational diseases, De Morbis Artificum Diatriba (Diseases of Workers) outlined the health hazards of chemicals, dust, metals, repetitive or violent motions, odd postures, and other disease-causative agents encountered by workers in more than fifty occupations. This was one of the founding and seminal works of occupational medicine and played a substantial role in its development.
He proposed that physicians should extend the list of questions that Hippocrates recommended they ask their patients by adding, "What is your occupation?".
Ramazzini saw prevention as being better than cure. In his Oratio given in 1711, he suggested that "it is much better to prevent than to cure, and so much easier to foresee future harm and avoid it rather than have to get rid of it after having fallen prey".
Malaria
In regards to malaria, Ramazzini was one of the first to support the use of the quinine-rich bark cinchona. Many falsely claimed that quinine was toxic and ineffective, but Ramazzini recognized its importance. He is quoted, "It [quinine] did for medicine what gun powder did for war."
Cancer
In 1713, Bernardino Ramazzini said that nuns developed breast cancer at a higher rate than married women, because they did not engage in sexual intercourse, and the "unnatural" lack of sexual activity caused instability of the breast tissues that sometimes developed into breast cancer.
Death
Ramazzini died in Padua on 5 November 1714.
Acknowledgement
In a lifestyle article "Sitting can lead to an early death", the writer acknowledged Ramazzini's pioneering study of this field in the 17th century.
The honor society Collegium Ramazzini is named after him.