c ence . ▁His ▁first ▁ill ness ▁dates ▁from ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁return ▁to ▁Buenos ▁Aires , ▁when ▁he ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁Cons ulate ; ▁he ▁experienced ▁sympt oms ▁of ▁sy ph ilis ▁caught ▁during ▁his ▁stay ▁in ▁Spain . ▁He ▁was ▁treated ▁by ▁the ▁most ▁pr estig ious ▁phys icians ▁of ▁the ▁city : ▁Miguel ▁O ' G orm an , ▁related ▁to ▁Camil a ▁O ' G orm an , ▁from ▁the ▁Pro tom edic ato ▁of ▁Buenos ▁Aires , ▁Miguel ▁García ▁de ▁Ro jas , ▁and ▁José ▁Ig na cio ▁de ▁A ro cha . ▁This ▁disease ▁forced ▁him ▁to ▁take ▁long ▁leaves ▁from ▁his ▁work ▁at ▁the ▁Cons ulate ▁and ▁take ▁rep ose ▁stays ▁at ▁M ald on ado ▁and ▁San ▁Is id ro . ▁He ▁was ▁treated ▁with ▁sal ts ▁and ▁i od ines , ▁and ▁his ▁condition ▁eventually ▁improved . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁sus pected ▁that ▁he ▁may ▁have ▁had ▁r he um at ism . ▁By ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 8 0 0 ▁he ▁had ▁a ▁growing ▁la cr imal ▁f ist ula ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁eyes ▁and ▁was ▁invited ▁by ▁the ▁King ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁Spain ▁for ▁a ▁c ure . ▁He ▁was ▁offered ▁a ▁one - year ▁leave ▁with ▁paid ▁w ages , ▁but ▁he ▁rejected ▁it , ▁giving ▁priority ▁to ▁his ▁work ▁for ▁the ▁nation ▁over ▁his ▁own ▁personal ▁health . ▁The ▁f ist ula ▁would ▁later ▁stabil ise ▁at ▁a ▁safe ▁and ▁un not ice able ▁size . ▁ ▁During