Nicolás Monardes
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Nicolás Bautista Monardes (1493 – 10 October 1588) was a Spanish
physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
and botanist. Monardes published several books of varying importance. In ''Diálogo llamado pharmacodilosis'' (1536), he examines
humanism Humanism is a philosophy, philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and Agency (philosophy), agency of Human, human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical in ...
and suggests studying several classical authors, principally
Pedanius Dioscorides Pedanius Dioscorides ( grc-gre, Πεδάνιος Διοσκουρίδης, ; 40–90 AD), “the father of pharmacognosy”, was a Greek physician, pharmacologist, botanist, and author of '' De materia medica'' (, On Medical Material) —a 5-vo ...
. He discusses the importance of
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
and
Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
medicine in ''De Secanda Vena in pleuriti Inter Grecos et Arabes Concordia'' (1539). ''De Rosa et partibus eius'' (1540) is about
rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
s and
citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...
fruits. It is known that Monardes also believed that tobacco smoke was an infallible panacea. Monardes' most significant and well known work was ''
Historia medicinal de las cosas que se traen de nuestras Indias Occidentales ''Historia medicinal de las cosas que se traen de nuestras Indias Occidentales'' ("Medical study of the products imported from our West Indian possessions") is the standard title for a survey by Nicolás Monardes (1493–1588), Spanish physician ...
'', published in three parts under varying titles (in 1565, 1569 and completed in 1574; unchanged reprint in 1580). This was translated into Latin by
Charles de l'Écluse Charles de l'Écluse, L'Escluse, or Carolus Clusius (19 February 1526 – 4 April 1609), seigneur de Watènes, was an Artois doctor and pioneering botanist, perhaps the most influential of all 16th-century scientific horticulturists. Life Clu ...
and into English by
John Frampton John Frampton was a 16th-century English merchant from the West Country, who settled in Spain, was imprisoned and tortured by the Inquisition, and escaped from Cádiz in 1567. He became a translator of Spanish works, partly inspired by revenge. ...
with the title "Joyfull Newes out of the newfound world".


Background

Nicolás Monardes was born in
Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
,
Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
in 1493. He was the son of Nicoloso di Monardis, an Italian bookseller, and Ana de Alfaro, who was the daughter of a physician. Nicolás Monardes obtained a degree in art in 1530 and then in medicine three years later. After returning from his studies, Monardes began his practice of medicine in his hometown of Seville in 1533. Monardes later graduated from the
University of Alcalá de Henares A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
where he obtained his doctorate in medicine in 1547. He went on to marry Catalina Morales, who was the daughter of García Perez Morales, a professor of medicine at Seville. This connection to physicians on both sides of his family allowed Monardes to secure a good position in the world of medicine in Seville for the next fifty years. Monardes acquiring this high position in the medical world allowed him to get involved in the publishing of medical works with an emphasis on healing and medicine and trade with the colonies on the other side of the Atlantic. Monardes and Morales had seven children together. While some of Monardes’ children were able to travel to the Americas, Monardes himself was not able to accompany his offspring and had to learn about American drugs and herbs at the Seville docks. Eleven years after his wife died, Nicolás Monardes perished by way of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1588.


Career

Monardes wrote books and reports that articulated the main characteristics of the empirical medicinal ideals of the Atlantic World. From these ideas came a series of books about the
New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...
that provided arguments in favor of personal experience. This experiential culture can be illustrated with the events and people connected with Monardes’ book, ''Primera y Segunda y Tercera partes de la
Historia medicinal de las cosas que se traen de nuestras Indias Occidentales ''Historia medicinal de las cosas que se traen de nuestras Indias Occidentales'' ("Medical study of the products imported from our West Indian possessions") is the standard title for a survey by Nicolás Monardes (1493–1588), Spanish physician ...
que sirven en Medicina''. He emphasized observation, testing practices, and realignment of classical traditions in his approach to medicine. While in Seville, he wrote about many of the new medicines and plants coming from the New World. He gathered information about these new herbs from soldiers, merchants, Franciscans, royal officials, and women. Many of Monardes’ works were translated to English. In 1577,
John Frampton John Frampton was a 16th-century English merchant from the West Country, who settled in Spain, was imprisoned and tortured by the Inquisition, and escaped from Cádiz in 1567. He became a translator of Spanish works, partly inspired by revenge. ...
published his translation of Monardes’ book on medicines. It's interesting to note that the historically impactful expedition of Francisco Hernandez to the New World may even be credited to Monardes’ inspiration. Some believe Monardes’ efforts sparked King Philip II of Spain to send Hernandez on his expedition. Like many other scientific researchers of the time, his works were commonly discussed and occasionally questioned. For instance, to test Monardes’ account of tobacco as a counter-poison, Philip II of Spain ordered one of his court physicians, Dr Berrnado, to try tobacco on a poisoned dog as an experiment. According to Monardes, the dog was saved.


Monardes and tobacco

One of Monardes’ most well-known characteristics was his affinity for the
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
plant. His fascination with the herb led him to believe that the crop had an incredible array of antidotal abilities. Monardes is known to assert that usage can cure over twenty conditions such as the common cold and, ironically, cancer. Tobacco went on to be used medicinally in
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
for some time. Many European doctors claimed the herb was essential for cures and for overall health and wellness. A devotee of Monardes’, Juan de Cardenas, echoed this sentiment by stating, “To seek to tell the virtues and greatness of this holy herb, the ailments which can be cured by it, and have been, the evils from which it has saved thousands would be to go on to infinity...this precious herb is so general a human need not only for the sick but for the healthy.” With many long-term users of the herb eventually showing degradation of health, tobacco’s harmful effects were recognized and discontinued as a mainstream European
medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...
.


Medical publications

Monardes’ first four publications were written between 1536 and 1545. His first published work, a treatise on ''pharmacodilosis'', was written in 1536. This publication’s focal point was on defending the classical medical tradition against the Arab medical tradition. His second publication was written in 1539 in regards to the relationship between blood-letting and cases of pleuritis. A third publication on the medical application of roses and an edition of a medical treatise written by Juan de Aviñón in the fourteenth century, were both written in 1545. After these four, Monardes did not publish another work for twenty years. This twenty-year period was when Monardes’ focus shifted to the medicinal products of the Americas. It was this shift that led to his most important work; the ''
Historia medicinal de las cosas que se traen de nuestras Indias Occidentales ''Historia medicinal de las cosas que se traen de nuestras Indias Occidentales'' ("Medical study of the products imported from our West Indian possessions") is the standard title for a survey by Nicolás Monardes (1493–1588), Spanish physician ...
que sirven al uso de la medicina'', which was published in Seville in three parts. Part I, published in 1565 and dedicated to the Archbishop of Seville, was divided into four main sections: resins, purgatives, remedies for ''morbus gallicus'' (syphilis), and Peruvian balsam and elaborates on the medical uses of these products. The success of the first publication in ''Historia medicinal'' resulted in many informants who brought Monardes different plants that had the ability to cure a local illness. These informants and their testimonies served as the basis for Part II. Published in 1571 and dedicated to
Philip II Philip II may refer to: * Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC) * Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor * Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374) * Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404) * Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497) * Philip ...
, Part II included the addition of nearly another dozen medicinal products including those that could be extracted from animals such as armadillos, sharks, caymans, as well as many others. Part II also includes an extensive study on
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
and three chapters elaborating on the uses of sassafras, ''carlo santo'', and ''cebadilla''. Other chapters were devoted to other less significant products and testimonies of informants. Part III of ''Historia medicinal'', published in 1574 along with parts I and II and dedicated to
Pope Gregory XIII Pope Gregory XIII ( la, Gregorius XIII; it, Gregorio XIII; 7 January 1502 – 10 April 1585), born Ugo Boncompagni, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 May 1572 to his death in April 1585. He is best known for ...
, elaborated more deeply on the usefulness of the products discussed in the first two parts as well as adding a few new ones, most notably the bezoar stones. The complete work was re-issued in 1580 in Seville and was the final edition during Monardes’ life. The success of the Historia medicinal is attributed to its timeliness, credibility, the experience of Monardes, and its coherence and skill of exposition.


Auction records

On September 17, 2009 Swann Galleries auctioned a third English edition of ''Joyfull Newes out of the New-Found Worlde'', London, 1596, for $13,200—an auction record for the book.


Legacy

The
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
''
Monarda ''Monarda'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae.Harley, R. M., et al. 2004. "Labiatae". pp 167-275 In: Kubitzki, K. (editor) and J. W. Kadereit (volume editor). ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants'' volume VII. ...
'' was named for him.


Bibliography

*1536: ''Diálogo llamado pharmacodilosis'' *1539: ''De Secanda Vena in pleuriti Inter Grecos et Arabes Concordia'' *1540: ''De Rosa et partibus eius'' *1565: ''Historia medicinal de las cosas que se traen de nuestras Indias Occidentales'' *1569: ''Dos libros, el uno que trata de todas las cosas que se traen de nuestras Indias Occidentales, que sirven al uso de la medicina, y el otro que trata de la piedra bezaar, y de la yerva escuerçonera''. Sevilla: Hernando Diaz *1571: ''Segunda parte del libro des las cosas que se traen de nuestras Indias Occidentales, que sirven al uso de la medicina; do se trata del tabaco, y de la sassafras, y del carlo sancto, y de otras muchas yervas y plantas, simientes, y licores que agora nuevamente han venido de aqulellas partes, de grandes virtudes y maravillosos effectos''. Sevilla: Alonso Escrivano, 1571 *1574: ''Primera y segunda y tercera partes de la
historia medicinal de las cosas que se traen de nuestras Indias Occidentales ''Historia medicinal de las cosas que se traen de nuestras Indias Occidentales'' ("Medical study of the products imported from our West Indian possessions") is the standard title for a survey by Nicolás Monardes (1493–1588), Spanish physician ...
, que sirven en medicina; Tratado de la piedra bezaar, y dela yerva escuerçonera; Dialogo de las grandezas del hierro, y de sus virtudes medicinales; Tratado de la nieve, y del beuer frio''. Sevilla: Alonso Escrivano *1580: Reprint of the 1574 publication. Sevilla: Fernando Diaz


References


Sources

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External links


Works by Monardes on the Internet ArchiveOnline Galleries, History of Science Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries
High resolution images of works by and/or portraits of Nicolas Monardes in .jpg and .tiff format.
Nicolás Monardes. Polymath Virtual Library, Fundación Ignacio Larramendi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monardes, Nicolas 1493 births 1588 deaths 16th-century Spanish botanists Spanish medical writers 16th-century Spanish physicians Spanish Renaissance humanists