Nicolás Monardes
Nicolás Bautista Monardes was a Spanish physician and botanist.
Monardes published several books of varying importance. In Diálogo llamado pharmacodilosis, he examines humanism and suggests studying several classical authors, principally Pedanius Dioscorides.
He discusses the importance of Greek and Arab medicine in De Secanda Vena in pleuriti Inter Grecos et Arabes Concordia.
De Rosa et partibus eius is about roses and citrus 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, published in three parts under varying titles. This was translated into Latin by Charles de l'Écluse and into English by John Frampton with the title "Joyfull Newes out of the newfound world".
Background
Nicolás Monardes was born in Seville, Spanish Empire 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 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 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 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 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.