José Antonio de Alzate y Ramírez explained

José Antonio de Alzate y Ramírez (20 November 1737 – 2 February 1799^[1]) was a priest in New Spain, scientist, historian, and cartographer.^[2]

Life and career

He was born in Ozumba in 1737, the child of Felipe de Alzate and María Josefa Ramírez, a descendant of Juana Inés de la Cruz. He studied in the Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City, graduating with a bachelor in theology in 1756.^[3] He was ordained a Catholic priest at the age of 20.^[4]

Inaugurated in 1768, his Diario literario de Méjico [Literary Newspaper of Mexico] was suspended after only three months. He later created, in 1788, the Gaceta de Literatura [Newspaper of Literature], that was published until 1795 (115 issues).^[4] This periodical inspired many of his countrymen to follow his example.^[5]

Alzate was a controversial figure, frequently meeting with local opposition. Nevertheless, the French and Spanish Academies of Sciences made him a corresponding member. The viceroys of Mexico and the archbishops entrusted him with sundry scientific missions.

He was a member of the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid.^[4] He died in Mexico City in 1799.^[1]

Works

Alzate wrote more than thirty treatises, on subjects including astronomy, physics, meteorology, antiquities, mathematics, and metallurgy. These include:^[4]

• Spanish; Castilian: Observaciones meteorológicas ("Weather observations"), 1769
• Spanish; Castilian: Observación del paso de Venus por el disco del Sol ("Observation of the passage of Venus by the disc of the Sun"), 1770
• Spanish; Castilian: Modelo y descripción de los hornos de Almadén ("Model and description of the furnaces of Almadén")
• Notes, additions and maps for Francisco Javier Clavijero's Spanish; Castilian: Historia Antigua de México ("Ancient History of Mexico")
• Spanish; Castilian: Mapa de la América del Norte ("Map of North America")
• Spanish; Castilian: La limite des niéges perpetuelles en Volcan Popocatepetl

Alzate attained a high reputation as a zoologist and botanist. He conducted several scientific experiments, and wrote numerous articles that were published in science journals.^[4] Several of his papers discuss the growing of silk in Mexico. He also wrote a dissertation on the use of ammonia in combating mephitic gases in abandoned mines.

In 1772, he published work that showed that the well-known psychedelic effects of pipiltzintzintli were due to natural causes and not the work of the devil (Spanish; Castilian: Memoria del uso que hacen los indios de los pipiltzintzintlis; México, D.F.: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México).^[6] A study from 2020 confirms that he actively fought for the legislation of medical cannabis.^[7]

Alzate's account of Xochicalco was the first published description of the ruins. His research led the way for modern exploration of Mexican antiquities.

Legacy

In his honor, the Spanish; Castilian: Sociedad Científica Antonio Alzate (Antonio Alzate Scientific Society) was created in 1884. In 1935, this society became the National Academy of Sciences.^[4] A dam and reservoir are named in his honor in the State of Mexico, north of Toluca.^[8] Plant genus Alzatea (the only genus in Alzateaceae) is named after him.^[9]

See also

• List of Roman Catholic scientist-clerics
• Spanish American Enlightenment

Further reading

• Beltrán, Enrique, "Alzate y Ramírez, José Antonio" Dictionary of Scientific Biography volume 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons 1970.
• Codding, Mitchell A., “Perfecting the geography of New Spain: Alzate and the Cartographic legacy of Sigüenza y Góngora,” Colonial Latin American Review, vol 2, 1994, pp. 185–219.
• Warren, J. Benedict, "An Introductory Survey of Secular Writings in the European Tradition on Colonial Middle America, 1503-1818, item 97, "José Antonio de Alzate y Ramírez, (1737-96)" in Handbook of Middle American Indians, vol. 13. Guide to Ethnohistorical Sources, Howard F. Cline, volume editor. Austin: University of Texas Press 1973, p. 90.
• Alzate, Jose Antonio de, Memorias y Ensayos. Mexico: Universidad Autonoma de Mexico 1985.

Notes and References

1. Encyclopedia: José Antonio de Alzate y Ramírez . Enciclopedia de la literatura en México . Secretary of Culture, Government of Mexico . es.
2. J. Benedict Warren, "An Introductory Survey of Secular Writings in the European Tradition on Colonial Middle America, 1503-1818, item 97, "José Antonio de Alzate y Ramírez, (1737-96)" in Handbook of Middle American Indians, vol. 13. Guide to Ethnohistorical Sources, Howard F. Cline, volume editor. Austin: University of Texas Press 1973, p.90.
3. Web site: José Antonio Alzate . es . Government of the State of Mexico . 2018-11-19 . dmy-all.
4. "Jose Antonio de Alzate and Ramirez ". Biblioteca Virtual Ignacio Larramendi: Colección de Polígrafos Hispanoamericanos. Fundación Ignacio Larramendi. URL accessed 2006-09-27.
5. Alzate y Ramirez, José Antonio . 1 . 373.
6. Brad Richard Huber, Alan R. Sandstrom. Mesoamerican Healers. University of Texas Press. . p 62.
7. Dierksmeier. Laura. July 7, 2020. Forbidden herbs: Alzate's defense of pipiltzintzintlis. July 10, 2020. Colonial Latin American Review. 29. 2. 292–315. 10.1080/10609164.2020.1755941. 221064432.
8. "Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Urban Water Management in Mexico City . LEAD Case Study. URL accessed 2006-09-28.
9. Ruiz Lopez H, Pavon JA (1794) Florae Peruvianae et Chilensis Prodromus. Madrid: Imprenta de Sancha