14 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 94 



Medicaments were either taken internally or used as lotions and un- 

 guents, and modes of treatments, intervals between dosages, and symp- 

 toms are also included. In many respects the treatments compare 

 favorably with those of Europe. That Aztec medical knowledge was 

 considered superior is obvious from the fact that it was taught at the 

 College of Santa Cruz in preference to European medicine. It is 

 especially significant that Philip II sent Dr. Francisco Hernandez, 

 vmder the title of Protomedico of Spain, to New Spain with the 

 commission to gather together the knowledge of native plants and 

 their usage. Parts of his great work were collected by Dr. Nardo 

 Antonio Recchi and published in one great volume by the Lyncean 

 Society in 1651. The interest of Europeans in Aztec medicine is also 

 reflected in the writings of Dr. Nicholas Monardes, whose work on 

 the medical knowledge of the Occidental Indies was published in 

 1569 and translated into English in 1577 by John Frampton. The 

 works of Carlos Clusius, Caesalpinus, and others all reflect the in- 

 troduction of Aztec medical knowledge into Europe. The extent to 

 which Aztec medical knowledge influenced the medical practices in 

 Europe can only be judged by a careful examination of the later 

 sixteenth and seventeenth century herbalists in whose work references 

 to Mexican plants occur. 



All these latter works of European authors present a picture of 

 Aztec medical learning as it appeared when viewed through the eyes 

 of Europeans. The Sahagun manuscripts alone show a close kinship 

 to the Badianus manuscript. This would be expected because of both 

 the time of writing and the source of material. 



The Badianus manuscript holds the unique position of being the 

 earliest written Aztec herbal as well as being the only one written by 

 the Aztecs themselves. It marks the beginning of herbal literature 

 on this side of the Atlantic. To the list of native Aztec students of 

 the College of Santa Cruz who distinguished themselves in the field 

 of letters, we add the names of Martin de la Cruz and Juannes 

 Badianus. The volume is a lasting tribute to the teachings of Fr. Ber- 

 nardino de Sahagun and the brothers of the Franciscan order who 

 taught at Tlaltelolco during the first 50 years of its existence. 



