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Constructing the Centre from the Periphery

Spanish Travellers to France at the time of the Chemical Revolution

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Abstract

During recent decades, scientific activity in the Spanish Enlightenment has attracted the attention of many historians of science. The policies of enlightened governments have been regarded as an important step in the process of modernisation of eighteenth-century Spanish society. At the beginning of that century, a new Bourbon dynasty was established in Spain and its policies have been regarded — mainly by conservative historians — as an attempt to introduce “foreign” ideas and practices into Spain. These policies have also been considered as a major effort to “modernise” a supposedly traditionalist country isolated from the rest of Europe and under the control of the powerful Catholic Church. Due to this caricatured image, enlightened Spanish governments have been very appealing for a group of politicians and historians who actively participated in the recent so-called “Spanish transition” from dictatorship to democracy, as they considered themselves engaged in a process of modernisation very similar to that initiated by their eighteenth-century forerunners. This trend reached its apex during the commemorations of the bicentennial of Carlos III, the most outstanding representative of Spanish enlightened despotism. One of the most important parts of the so-called modernisation process, then and now, was science. According to this view, the isolated Spain scarcely participated in the Scientific Revolution of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and enlightened governments tried to solve this problem by implementing three main policies: (a) Reforming the recalcitrant universities, which were anchored in old scholastic ways of teaching, or, to avoid opposition, founding new scientific establishments in which new science could be taught and cultivated; (b) Appointing foreign scientists in some of the new institutions, so that they could introduce new ideas into Spain and train disciples; (c) Sending young students — pensionados l— abroad in order to improve their scientific background in the most famous European academic centres. Scientific trips are therefore considered a key part of Spanish enlightened policies and are mentioned in almost every study concerning eighteenth-century Spanish science.2

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Notes

  1. For an introduction to the history of science during the Spanish Enlightenment, see M. Selles; J.L. Peset; A. Lafuente, Carlos III y la ciencia de la Ilustración (Madrid: Alianza Editorial, 1987), and J. Fernandez Pérez; I. Gonzalez Tascón, eds., Ciencia, técnica y estado en la España Ilustrada (Zaragoza: MEC, 1990). About scientific trips, see A. Lafuente, “Las políticas y los métodos de internacionalización de la ciencia espanola durante el siglo XVIII,” Revista de Occidente (1988), 229–42; M. Valera; M. López Sanchez; C. López Fernandez, “Científicos espanoles en el Reino Unido (1750–1830),” Asclepio, 50 (1) (1998), 49–68, and A. García Belmar; J.R. Bertomeu Sanchez, “Viajes a Francia para el estudio de la química, 1770–1833,” Asclepio,53 (1) (2001), 95–135.

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  2. For a discussion of some images related to the chemical revolution, see B. Bensaude-Vincent, ‘Between History and Memory: Centennial and Bicentennial Images of Lavoisier,“ Isis, 87 (1996), 481–499. A survey of recent trends in A. Donovan (ed), ”The Chemical Revolution: Essays in Reinterpretation,“ Osiris, 4 (1988), 1–236 and P. Bret, ”Trois décennies d’études lavoisiennes. Supplément aux bibliographies de Duveen,“ Revue d’histoire des sciences, 48 (1/2) (1995), 169–197.

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  3. On the chemical revolution in Spain, see R. Gago’s works, which include references to former historical research by Spanish “chemist-historians” such as Bonet i Bonfill, Rodriguez Carracido and Moles Ormella. See R. Gago, “La ensenanza de la química en Madrid a fmales del siglo XVIII,” Dynamis, 4 (1984), 277–300; id. “The New Chemistry in Spain,” Osiris, 4 (1988), 169–192 and id. “Cultivo y ensenanza de la química en la Espana de principios del siglo XIX.” In: J.M. Sanchez Ron, ed., Ciencia y sociedad en Espana (Madrid: El Arquero, 1988), pp. 129–143.

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  7. Good examples are papers such as H. Guerlac, “The Continental Reputation of Stephan Hales”, Archives Internationales d’Histoire des Sciences, 4 (1951), 393–404. These and other works have paid attention to travellers such as Jo-do Jacinto de Magalhâes (17221790). See I. Malaquias; M. Fernandes Thomaz, “Scientific Communication in the 18th century: The case of John Hyacinth de Magellan,” Physis, 31 (1994), 817–834.

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  8. One of the most studied cases is that of Martinus van Marum, who established several contacts with a number of Parisian scientists, and especially Lavoisier, during his trip in 1785. See T.H. Levere, “Martinus Van Marum (1750–1837): The introduction of Lavoisier’s Chemistry into the Low Countries,” Janus, 53 (1966), 115–134 and H.A.M. Snelders, “The New Chemistry in Netherlands,” Osiris, 4 (1988), 121–146. For other studies showing the role of individual travels in the transmission of the chemical revolution see, for instance, A. Lundgren, “The New Chemistry in Sweden,” Osiris, 4 (1988), 146–169, in which the travels of Pehr Afzelius, co-author of the Swedish translation of the new nomenclature, are studied. See also A.S. Jacobsen, “A.W. Hauch’s Role in the Introduction of Antiphlogistic Chemistry into Denmark,” Ambix, 47 (2) (2000), 71–95.

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  9. Due to the similarities with our study, studies on Portuguese “estrangeirados” are particularly valuable for a comparative view. See A. Simoes; A. Cameiro; M.P. Diogo, “Constructing knowledge: Eighteenth-century Portugal and the new sciences,” in K. Gavroglu (ed.) Sciences in the European periphery during the Enlightenment (Dordrecht: Kluwer, 1999), 1–40; M.P. Diogo; A. Carneiro; A. Simóes, “Sources for the History of Science in Portugal: one possible option,” Cronos, 3 (1) (2000), 115–141, and other papers quoted therein. See also their chapter on this volume.

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  10. For a detailed description of the sources and methodology, see A. García Belmar, op. cit. (2).

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  11. All graphs have been made using available biographical information from different sources. In order to avoid possible bias in Graph I, II and III, authors with only archival information have been excluded. For the case of trips around different places, each country visited has been individually considered.

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  16. The afrancesados were a small but influential group of Spaniards who collaborated with José Bonaparte’s government. They attempted to adapt many French scientific institutions to the Spanish context and, in some cases, they developed old Enlightened projects. On these projects see J.R. Bertomeu Sanchez, La actividad científica en Espana bajo el reinado de Jose I (1808–1813) (Valencia: Universitat de Valencia, 1995) and J.R. Bertomeu Sanchez, A. García Belmar, “Tres proyectos de creación de instituciones científicas durante el reinado de José I: Un estudio sobre la transmisión de la ciencia en el marco de la Guerra de la Independencia,” in J.A. Armillas, ed., La Guerra de la Independencia. Estudios (Zaragoza:. Diputación, 2001), vol. I, pp. 301–325.

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  18. “Les jeunes gens suivent avec ardeur mon cours sur la chimie animale à l’Ecole de médecine. Rien n’égale leur envie d’apprendre; les vingt leçons que je fais sur cette partie si neuve de la chimie, donnent, je le vois, un grand mouvement à cette branche de l’étude de la nature; mais je le modère le plus que je le puis; je ne veux pas trop l’accélérer, de crainte de briser cette belle machine entre mes mains. ”Cf. A. Fourcroy, “Extrait d’une lettre du citoyen…, au citoyen Van Mons, au sujet de celle de M. Humboldt,” Annales de Chimie, 22 (1797), 77–80. Antoine Fourcroy was the editor of La Médecine éclairée par les sciences physique… between 1791 and 1792, a journal translated soon afterwards into Spanish with the title Diario de los nuevos descubrimientos de todas las Ciencias Físicas, que tienen alguna relación con las diferentes partes del arte de curar… (Madrid: Sancha, 1792), 2 vols. On the medical aspects of the chemical revolution, see F.L. Holmes, “The chemical revolution and the art of healing,” Caduceus, 11 (2) (1995), 103–126. On the consequences of this debate in Spain, see J.R. Bertomeu Sanchez; A. García Belmar, “Los libros de texto de química destinados a estudiantes de medicina y cirugía en Espana (1788–1845)”, Dynamis, 20 (2000), pp. 457–489.

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  19. Jean-Baptiste-Thimothée Baumès (1756–1828), professor of the Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier, proposed a nosological system based on the new chemistry. His five main classes of diseases were: “calorinèses,” “oxigenèses,” “hydrogenèses,” “azotenèses” and “phosphorenèses.” See J.B.T. Baumès, Fondements de la science méthodique des maladies, pour servir de suite à l’Essai d’un système chimique de la science de l’homme… (Montpellier: 1801–1802) vol. I, pp. 174–180. On Baumès, see Holmes, op. cit. (19), pp. 118–12

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  20. F. Carbonell i Bravo, De Chemiae ad Medicinam applicationis usu et abusu (Monspelii: Apud G. Izar et A. Ricard, an IX). On Carbonell, see A. Nieto Galan, Ciència a Catalunya a l’inici del segle XIX: teoria i aplicacions tècniques a l’escola de Química de Barcelona sota la direcció de Francesc Carbonell i Bravo (1805–1822) (Barcelona: PhD, 1994). Carbonell published an important textbook on pharmacy and translated several papers by Fourcroy about the relation between chemistry and pharmacy. Cf. F. Carbonell i Bravo, Pharmaciae elementa chemiae recentioris fundamentis innixa… (Barcelona: J.F. Piferrer, 1796) (4th ed. 1824). French translations: Paris, Méquignon l’aîné, 1803; 3rd ed. 1821. Carbonell’s translation of Fourcroy’s Discourse was published in Madrid by Repullés in 1804.

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  21. M.J.B. Orfila, Elémens de chimie médicale (Paris: Crochard, 1817) vol. I, p. ii.

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  22. Ibid. “cette partie de la science nous ayant paru trop peu avancée pour pouvoir la réduire à des principes généraux.”

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  23. On these institutions, see M. Astrain Gallart, Barberos, Cirujanos y Gente de Mar. La sanidad naval y la profesión quirúrgica en la Espana ilustrada (Madrid: Ministerio de Defensa, 1996).

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  24. The alumni register of Paris Medical Faculty (Bibliothèque Faculté de Médecine, Paris, Ms. 25, 131–154) offers evidence that Luzuriaga attended courses by Jean Baptiste Langlois and Jean Louis Marie Solier de la Romillais. At the Collège du Roi, Luzuriaga attended lectures by Joseph Roulin (1708–1784) in 1782 (ACF, A-XIV/8). More information in A. Chinchilla, Anales históricos de la medicina en general y biografico-bibliogrcificos de la espanola en particular (Valencia: Imprenta de López y Cia., 1841–46), vol. IV, 357–59

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  25. Observations sur la physique…, 25 (1794), 252–261.

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  27. AHN. Hacienda, libro 6463, f. 341, and lib. 6467, f. 296 v.

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  28. On the Collège de Girone, see L. Dulieu, La médecine en Montpellier (Montpellier: 1986), vol. HI (1) pp. 219–226. On Garriga, see A. García Belmar; J.R.Bertomeu Sanchez, “El Curso de química general aplicada a las artes (1804–1805) de San Cristóbal y Garriga”. In: J.L. Barona Vilar et al., eds., Las ciencias en la Ilustración (Valencia: Universitat de València, 2002) (forthcoming).

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  29. C. Meinel, “Theory or practice? The eighteenth century debate on the scientific status of chemistry,” Ambix, 30 (1983), 121–132.

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  30. For an introductory study about the Economic Societies and Sciences, see J. Fernandez Pérez, “Las sociedades económicas de Amigos del Pals,” in M. Selles; J.L. Peset; A. Lafuente, eds., Carlos III y la ciencia de la Ilustración (Madrid: Alianza Editorial, 1988), pp. 129–140. See also the references cited therein.

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  31. On this chair, see Gago, R.; I. Pellón, La catedra de química del Seminario de Bergara (Bergara, 1994), which includes additional bibliography.

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  36. ANF, AJ16, 6426–6428. According to the register, he studied medicine between 1816 and 1820.

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  37. ACF, Paris, A-XIV/20. He attended Jacques Thenard’s lectures during 1818. More data about Desprats in A. Gil Novales, et al., Diccionario biografico del trienio liberal (Madrid: Ediciones el Orto, 1991), p. 178.

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  45. Many authors praised Don Antonio’s support to science. See P. Gutiérrez Bueno, Manual del arte de vidriería para use de los fabricantes de vidrio, cristales, piedras preciosas artificiales y esmaltes. (Madrid: Villalpando, 1799 and G. Baraares, Filosofía Farmacéutica (Madrid: 1814), vol. I, pp. i-ii.

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  47. Ibid. “Luego que un Discípulo se halle capaz de desempeíïar el empleo de Profesor sera nombrado para tal o cual catedra según la mayor o menor urgencia que haya en las Provincias y enviado inmediatamente a Paris por espacio de solo un arao, donde vera los Profesores mas célebres, notara su modo de enseí ar, los establecimientos de Historia natural, de química y mineralogia, etc; acabara de fortificar y perfeccionar sus conocimientos comparando unos con otros los profesores, sus sistemas, escuelas, etc.; y comprara al mismo tiempo, bajo la dirección del Embajador, las obras e instrumentos que scan indispensables para la Escuela que ha de dirigir a su regreso.”

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  51. “La experiencia ha acreditado que las dotaciones senaladas para estudiar química en las naciones extranjeras suelen producir un efecto casi siempre muy contrario al que se promete el Gobierno porque al paso que amortiguan el ardor y afición al estudio en aquéllos que las consiguen, creyéndose con bastante derecho para obtener los empleos a menos costa que los demas perjudican por esto mismo las esperanzas de aquéllos que se proponen estudiar de veras.” Cf. Plan de la Escuela practica…. In Fraga Vazquez, op.cit. (54), 59.

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  56. On this School see A. Rumeu De Armas, Ciencia y tecnología en la Espana Ilustrada. La Escuela de Caminos y Canales (Madrid: Turner, 1980).

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Belmar, A.G., Sánchez, J.R.B. (2003). Constructing the Centre from the Periphery. In: Simões, A., Carneiro, A., Diogo, M.P. (eds) Travels of Learning. Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 233. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3584-1_7

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