NO. 2 THE BADIANUS MANUSCRIF'T EM MART I3 



Caca-matlalin (blue-colored herb), Chichic-xihuitl (bitter herb), Colo- 

 mecatl (trailing cord), Hahuiyac-xihuitl (fragrant plant). 



The credit for this as a system of plant identification was first 

 recognized by Francisco Flores,'^ eminent Mexican medical historian, 

 who mentioned it in his " Historia de la Medicina en Mexico " (1888) , 

 but he does not give such an analysis. Instead he groups Aztec plant 

 names according to usage, such as tonics, antispasmodics, stimulants, 

 etc. Until the translation of the present volume, as far as is known, 

 no complete analysis of Aztec plant names has been undertaken. 



The recognition of the modern botanical classification is most dif- 

 ficult. Without an analysis of the Aztec nouns, the usages of each 

 plant and the colored-plate identification would be impossible. In 

 addition it has been necessary to cross-reference every Aztec plant 

 name with sixteenth century Aztec-Latin botanical texts. Again, 

 without Standley's important volumes on the trees and shrubs of 

 Mexico and the flora of Yucatan, this would have been impossible. 



Of the sixteenth century Aztec-Latin sources, only two are of the 

 greatest importance. The first, volumes 10 and 11 of the Sahagun 

 manuscript, is the most important, since the work is both contempo- 

 rary with, and deals with plants of the same district as. the Badianus 

 manuscript. The second is the great Hernandez volume, which was 

 written in the latter half of the sixteenth century, and although not 

 published until 150 years later, was one of the greatest herbals of 

 the sixteenth century. The excellent illustrations of the Hernandez 

 volume have been invaluable in checking the more primitive Aztec 

 drawings in the Badianus manuscript. 



Besides the use of plants, animals, stones, and various kinds of 

 earth, salts and carbon were used in the concoction of Aztec medical 

 formulas. Of the stones, pearls of various kinds, the eztetl (jasper), 

 the tetlahuitl (precious ocre stone), and the tlahcalhuatzin are the 

 most frequently used. Numerous references are found to the use of 

 bezoar stones, which they obtained from 10 ditiferent species of birds. 

 Earths of various kinds classified according to their color were used, 

 as well as soda and salt. The latter was obtained in cakes from the 

 salt lake of Texcoco and, in the Aztec Empire period, was one of the 

 chief articles of trade. Animal charcoal was used then as it still is 

 today — although in a purer form — in the preparation of bitter prin- 

 ciples for infusions and tinctures. 



Of the animals used, the greater part were birds, although the stag, 

 dog, fox, jaguar, monkey, and many other kinds were included. 



" Flores, Francisco A., Historia de la Medicina en Mexico. Oficina Tip de la 

 Secretaria de Fomento, vols, i, 2, and 3, 1886. 



