Alexandre Yersin (1863-1943) was a French scientist. In the medical field, he was the founder of the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang and the Ha Noi Medical University. Yersin is remembered as the co-discoverer of the bacillus responsible for the bubonic plague, which was later named in his honour (Yersinia pestis). In the agriculture field, he was a pioneer in the introduction of the cultivation of rubber and cinchona in Vietnam. He was also an explorer who discovered the Lâm Viên plateau.
To commemorate Yersin's contributions, France and Vietnam launched a joint issued on his 150th birth anniversary. One stamp features the young scientist against the background of the Pasteur Institute in Paris where he began his career. The other features the portrait of Yersin in front of the juxtaposition of the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang and the Lam Vien Plateau.
This is a post for Sunday Stamps, letter Y.
I'd never heard of him, what an brilliant bit of science, the mention of plague always raises a shudder.
ReplyDeleteIt seems it deserved the stamps!
DeleteI knew the scientific name for bubonic plague, but did not know about the man behind the name. I like that the joint issue shows him at two different ages.
ReplyDeleteI also like this double representation, also in both places, France and Vietnam. It was, actually, what caught my attention first about this issue (although I have received only one of the stamps).
DeleteI knew an other type of the Yersinia bacteria (Y. enterocolitica - didn't know that the plague bacteria also is a Yersinia). But until now I never had seen its name giver. So these are interesting stamps, thank you for sharing!
DeleteThanks, Heleen!
DeleteI hadn't heard of him either. An important man who deserves to be commemorated on stamps.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
DeleteIt is interesting to see him both as a young man and an older man in these stamps. Not sure I've ever notice that in any other joint issue.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of him until now, either.
As I told to FinnBadger, that is also what caught my attention first.
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