Civil Medical Merit Order (Spain)
The civil sanitary merit order or civil order for health ( es. Orden del Mérito Sanitario or Orden Civil de Sanidad ) was founded on July 27, 1943 by the Spanish head of state Francisco Franco and can be used for excellent services in the field of sanitary, in particular for practical use in disease control. Also for excellent scientific achievements in the medical field.
prehistory
A comparable award had already been given in Spain in the 19th century. This award was colloquially only called epidemic or epidemic cross and was awarded for extraordinary actions in combating them. This epidemic cross was subsequently united with the civil order for charity . This amalgamation of the two awards turned out to be unfortunate and inexpedient, so that the creation of a new special order in the medical field was necessary; the birth of the Civil Medical Order of Merit.
Order classes
The order consists of three classes, whereby the commander is divided into two levels:
The award of all three classes only takes place in those cases in which the services to the medical service are absolutely unequivocal and on the initiative of the Spanish Ministry of the Interior. In the other cases, the initiation is made by the General Directorate of Sanitary Affairs, which, however, previously had to hear the National Council for Sanitary Affairs.
The Grand Cross in its highest level is only awarded with the consent of the Council of Ministers by ordinance, the other two classes or levels by ministerial decree.
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| Grand Cross | commander | Knight | ||||
Order decoration
The medal of all classes is the same size and measures 40 mm in height and width. The arms are of equal length and three-pointed at their ends, enameled white, rimmed with gold and set at their tips with small gold spheres. Three golden rays are inserted in each of the cross angles, of which the middle one is 8 mm long, the two outer ones are each 5 mm long. In the middle of the cross is the colored enamelled coat of arms of Spain on a high oval, red background within the golden inscription AL MERITTO SANITARIO (Dem Sanitary Merit ). A green wreath made of oak and palm leaves served as a hanger. The back of the cross is similar to that of the front, except that the middle field of the medallion is enameled blue rather than red and shows the national health care emblem instead of the Spanish coat of arms.
Carrying method
Commanders decorate the award as a neck medal with a 30 mm wide, ocher yellow with 4 mm wide black side stripes that stand 2 mm from the edge. Commanders with a star also receive a breast star. The simple cross with the same ribbon color on the golden cross clasp on the left side of the chest, which is common in Spain. The same cross described here belongs to the Grand Cross, but is worn on the Grand Cross, which comes from the right shoulder to the left hip. The ends are connected by a loop. Its yellow ocher band is 100 mm wide and has 12 mm wide black side stripes that are 6 mm from the edge. For this purpose, a breast star is worn on the left side of the breast, the size of which is 55 mm and the seven rays of which are brilliant per cross angle.
literature
- Paul Ohm Hieronymussen: Handbook of European Orders in Colors , Universitas Verlag, Berlin 1966, p. 184
- Arnhard Graf Klenau: European Order from 1700 , Rosenheim 1978, ISBN 3-921566-05-3 , p. 203