The wine of Lamadrid

In the heart of Buenos Aires' La Boca neighborhood, a street corner once housed a pharmacy run by Giuseppe Ragozza, an Italian immigrant who arrived in 1873. More than just a dispenser of medicines, Ragozza became a trusted advisor and diagnostician for the community. His wisdom and care were so renowned that locals would remark, “Not even Ragozza can save him” when faced with an incurable ailment.

Ragozza's pharmacy stood at the intersection of Almirante Brown and Lamadrid streets. The latter street, named after General Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid, commemorates a distinguished military leader from Argentina's War of Independence. Lamadrid, a prominent figure in the early 19th century, later became a key officer in the Unitarian faction during the nation's civil conflicts.

Interestingly, the very general after whom the street was named had a near-fatal experience involving a mistaken medication. While serving as governor of La Rioja between 1830 and 1831, Lamadrid was engrossed in writing dispatches when a batch of bottled medicines arrived from Córdoba. Due to a mix-up, one bottle that had been opened because a postman fell ill was placed near a bottle of wine on his desk.

During lunch, Lamadrid, distracted by his work, asked for wine to accompany his meal. His servant, confused, handed him the bottle containing the medicine instead. The article implies this error nearly cost the general his life, highlighting a peculiar twist of fate connecting the street's namesake to a near-fatal encounter with a misidentified remedy.