Synopses & Reviews
This collection of essays by historians, historians of science and medicine, and literary and textual scholars—from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Spain—analyzes the achievements of Dr. Francisco Hernández (1515-87) in the history of medicine and science in Europe and the Americas. Celebrated in his own day as one of Spains leading physicians and naturalists, he is now best remembered for his monumental work on the native plants and materia medica of central Mexico.
Sent to New Spain in 1570 by King Philip II to research and describe the natural history of the region, to assess the medical usefulness of the natural resources, and to gather ethnographic materials for an anthropological history, Hernández was the first trained scientist to undertake scientific work in the New World. For seven years he gathered information throughout the Valley of Mexico, learning Nahuatl, recording local medical customs, studying indigenous medicines, and writing down all his observations. The result was The Natural History of New Spain, written in Latin, which consisted of six folio volumes filled with descriptions of over 3,000 plants previously unknown in Europe (along with descriptions of a much smaller number of animals and minerals) and ten folio volumes of paintings by Mexican artists illustrating the plants and animals he described.
Hernández died before he could publish his Natural History, and the materials were placed in the Escorial, where they were extensively consulted, copied, abstracted, and translated by generations of scientists, medical specialists, and natural philosophers before they were destroyed by fire in 1671. Hernándezs work was still regarded as authoritative on a number of New World botanical topics as late as the nineteenth century, and his writings remain in use in popular form in Mexico today.
The sixteen essays in this volume treat the most important aspects of Hernándezs experience, including his education, his heterodox beliefs, and the state of medicine in both Spain and New Spain during his era. Other essays show the dissemination of the knowledge Hernández accumulated, including his contributions to European botany and materia medica, his relationship to Spanish Baroque painting, the “globalization” of his work in the eighteenth century, and his place in nineteenth-century debates among Spanish scientists.
Review
"Enlightening and entertaining to pick up and look for areas of specific reader interest."Southeastern Naturalist
Review
"These books represent a remarkable scholarly achievement and a splendid tribute to a remarkable man who linked two rich civilizations."Nature
Synopsis
“These books represent a remarkable scholarly achievement and a splendid tribute to a remarkable man who linked two rich civilizations.”—Nature
“This is a fundamental contribution in the English language to the study of natural history of the New World, Mexico in particular, in the Renaissance, which must be placed on every reading list of courses on the encounters with the New World.”—Renaissance Quarterly
Synopsis
This collection of essays analyzes the achievements of one of Spain's leading physicians and naturalists, Dr Francisco Hernández (1515-87) - author of The Natural History of New Spain. Of particular appeal to historians of both science and medicine, anthropologists, and scholars with an interest in natural history.
Synopsis
Celebrated in his own day as one of Spain's leading physicians and naturalists, Dr Francisco Hernández (1515-87) is now best remembered for his monumental seven-year research on the native plants and materia medica of central Mexico. The sixteen essays in this volume discuss the most important aspects of Hernández's experience, knowledge and contribution to the history of medicine and science in Europe and the Americas. Of particular appeal to historians of both science and medicine, anthropologists, and scholars with an interest in natural history.
Synopsis
ndez's contribution to medicine and science in Europe and the Americas.
Synopsis
This collection of essays by historians, historians of science and medicine, and literary and textual scholars from several countries analyzes the achievements of Dr. Francisco Hernández (1515-87), author of the monumental The Natural History of New Spain, in the history of medicine and science in Europe and the Americas.
About the Author
These books represent a remarkable scholarly achievement and a splendid tribute to a remarkable man who linked two rich civilizations.”NatureThis is a fundamental contribution in the English language to the study of natural history of the New World, Mexico in particular, in the Renaissance, which must be placed on every reading list of courses on the encounters with the New World.”Renaissance QuarterlyEnlightening and entertaining to pick up and look for areas of specific reader interest.”Southeastern Naturalist
Table of Contents
List of illustrations; Acknowledgments; Abbreviations; Editorial methods; Chronology; Introduction; 1. The world of Dr Francisco Hernández Dora B. Weiner; 2. Philip II: imperial obligations and scientific vision Peter O'Malley Pierson; Part I. The Intellectual Milieu of Hernández: 3. The classical tradition in Renaissance Spain and new trends in philology, medicine and materia medica Rafael Chabrán; 4. Francisco Hernández, Renaissance man Simon Varey; 5. Hernández in México: exile and censorship? Carmen Benito-Vessels; Part II. Medical Knowledge and Practices in New Spain: 6. Regulation of medical practitioners in the age of Francisco Hernández John Jay Tepaske; 7. Shelter and care for natives and colonists: hospitals in sixteenth-century New Spain Guenter B. Risse; 8. Illness, epidemics, and displaced classes in sixteenth-century New Spain Elsa Malvido; 9. Anthropology, reason, and the dictates of faith in the Antiquities of Francisco Hernández David A. Boruchoff; Entr'acte Rafael Chabrán and Simon Varey; Part III. The Dissemination of Hernández's Knowledge: 10. The reception of American drugs in Europe, 1500-1650 J. Worth Estes; 11. The contribution of Hernández to European botany and materia medica JoséM. López Pinero and JoséParso Tomás; 12. Hernández in the Netherlands and England Rafael Chabrán and Simon Varey; 13. Hernández and Spanish painting in the seventeenth century María JoséLópez Terrada; 14. Globalizing the Natural History Jaime Vilchis; 15. The circulation of the work of Hernández in nineteenth-century Spain Leoncio López-Ocón; Part IV. Postscript: Continuing Traditions of Mexican Medicine: 16. Latino Catholic civilization: patterns of health and demography David Hayes-Bautista; 17. The popular legacy of Francisco Hernández Simon Varey and Rafael Chabrán; Glossary; Index.