Expedition Francisco Hernández expedition (1570–77)

pineapple fruit

among botanical specimens expedition discovered pineapple, cocoa (known locals cacahuatl), corn, guaiacum officinale, smilax regelii, strychnos nux-vomica (known locals mahuatl quauhtlepatli), sweet granadilla, passionfruit, , several plants hallucinogenic properties used in rituals such peyote, maguey, datura or devil s weed.

from march 1574 until return spain in 1577, hernandez lived in mexico carried out medical tests using plants had gathered , put large botanical collection , studied local medicinal practices , archeological sites. in 1576 during epidemic (referred cocoliztli, nahuatl pest, during colonial-period population decline of aztecs,) hernández performed autopsies in hospital real de san josé de los naturales in collaboration surgeon alonso lópez de hinojosos , physician juan de la fuente. hernandez described gruesome symptoms of clinical accuracy. these included high fever, severe headache, vertigo, black tongue, dark urine, dysentery, severe abdominal , thoracic pain, large nodules behind ears invaded neck , face, acute neurologic disorders, , profuse bleeding nose, eyes, , mouth, death occurring in 3 4 days.

he worked on castilian translation of treatise on natural history pliny elder. result impressive work, composed of 24 books on plants, 1 fauna, 1 on minerals, , ten volumes of paintings , illustrations brought spain published. josé de acosta calculated total cost of expedition represented 60,000 ducats, enormous sum @ time.