New Spain: Real Expedici?n Bot?nica

The items in this collection relate to the work of the Real Expedici?n Bot?nica during the period 1790-1804 and particularly to issues of staffing and facilities. WMS/Amer.38 and 42 focus on the removal of the botanist Jayme Senseve for incompetence, his replacement by the physician Jos? Mariano Moci?o, his reinstatement and the issue of payment to Moci?o for his work. WMS/Amer.44 relates to attempts by Martin de Sess? y Lacasta to gain space in the Hospital General de San Andr?s to carry out tests upon indigenous drugs discovered by the expedition. WMS/Amer.43 summarises the achievements of the expedition with particular reference to their medical side.

The Real Expedici?n Bot?nica was launched by the Spanish crown in the late 18th century to investigate the indigenous flora of New Spain. The expedition was led by until his return to Spain in 1803 and thereafter by Vicente de Cervantes.

The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Purchased 1962.

Described in: Robin Price, An Annotated Catalogue of Medical Americana in the Library of the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1983). Detailed catalogue available at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/.

manuscript, bound.

description compiled by Christopher Hilton based upon those in the Library's published finding aid by Robin Price.

Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.

The items in this collection formed part of the Guerra Collection.