The "Table of mineral classification" by Oscar Nerval de Gouvêa: mineralogy and medicine in Brazil / A "Tabela de classificação mineral", de Oscar Nerval de Gouvêa: mineralogia e medicina no Brasil

Abstract Oscar Nerval de Gouvêa was a scientist and teacher in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, whose work spanned engineering, medicine, the social sciences, and law. This paper presents and discusses a manuscript entitled "Table of mineral classification," which he appended to his dissertation Da receptividade mórbida , presented to the Faculty of Medicine in 1889. The foundations and features of the table provide a focus for understanding nineteenth-century mineralogy and its connections in Brazil at that time through this scientist. This text was Gouvêa's contribution to the various mineral classification systems which have emerged from different parts of the world.

Resumo Oscar Nerval de Gouvêa foi um cientista e professor no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, cuja obra abrange engenharia, medicina, ciências sociais e direito. Este artigo apresenta e discute o texto intitulado "Tabela de classificação mineral", que ele anexou a sua tese Da receptividade mórbida, apresentada na Escola Superior de Medicina, em 1889. Os fundamentos e características da tabela propiciam a compreensão da mineralogia do século XIX e suas conexões no Brasil à época por intermédio desse cientista. O texto foi a contribuição de Gouvêa aos diversos sistemas de classificação de minerais originados de diferentes partes do mundo.

James Parkinson and his essay on "shaking palsy", two hundred years later / James Parkinson y su ensayo sobre la "parálisis agitante", doscientos años después

ABSTRACT In 1817, British physician James Parkinson published a 66-page document entitled "Essay on the Shaking Palsy". This brief text became a classical and fundamental piece in the history of medicine and, in particular, of neurology. The authors of this article wish to pay tribute to this great pioneer of neurology, 200 years after the publication of his findings, which would, in turn, immortalize his name and give rise to the renaming on the entity in 1860 by Professor Jean Martin Charcot, father of neurology. It would be known, henceforth as Parkinson's disease.

RESUMEN En 1817 el médico británico James Parkinson publicó un documento de 66 páginas titulado "Ensayo sobre la parálisis agitante". Este breve texto es de una gran importancia en la historia de la medicina y en particular de la neurología. Los autores desean rendir homenaje a este gran pionero de la neurología al cumplir doscientos años la publicación que inmortalizaría su nombre y que dio origen a la primera descripción de la entidad que desde 1860, a propuesta del profesor Jean Martin Charcot, el padre de la neurología, se denomina Enfermedad de Parkinson. (James - Hierons).

Minério de ferro, geologia econômica e redes de experts entre Wisconsin e Minas Gerais, 1881-1914 / Iron ore, economic geology and networks of experts between Wisconsin and the state of Minas Gerais, 1881-1914

O presente artigo trata da “descoberta” do minério de ferro brasileiro a partir de duas perspectivas. A primeira analisa a crescente ênfase das geociências em sua aplicação prática e em sua globalidade desde a segunda metade do século XIX. Enquanto no Brasil a geologia econômica foi integrada passo a passo às instituições do Estado, no nível global ela viveu momento de triunfo com o 11 o Congresso Geológico Internacional, em 1910. A segunda trata de uma rede social específica com papel decisivo na corrida pelo minério de ferro brasileiro: experts transnacionais movimentandose entre as lógicas do mercado e as da academia. O artigo mostra a importância das negociações locais na incorporação do subsolo mineiro ao espaço global de mineração.

This article deals with the “discovery” of Brazilian iron ore from two perspectives. The first examines the increasing emphasis of the geosciences and their practical application and global reach since the second half of the nineteenth century. While in Brazil economic geology was integrated step by step into state institutions, at the global level it experienced its moment of triumph with the 11th International Geological Congress in 1910. The second deals with a specific social network with a decisive role in the race for Brazilian iron ore: with transnational experts juggling between the logic of the market and that of the academy. The article reveals the importance of local negotiations in the incorporation of the subsoil of Minas Gerais into the global space of mining.

Paul Deshayes (1796-1875) e a Comissao Geologica do Reino: uma colaboracao com o Estado portugues / Paul Deshayes (1796-1875) and the Geological Commission of the Kingdom: a collaboration with the Portuguese state

Carlos Ribeiro, um dos diretores da Comissão Geológica de Portugal, empreendeu em 1858 viagem por vários países da Europa, para adquirir bibliografia, equipamentos e coleções de comparação. Em Paris, conheceu o reputado conquiliologista Paul Deshayes, que lhe franqueou suas coleções pessoais do Terciário francês e o ajudou na classificação de fósseis portugueses. O trabalho conjunto revela-se na listagem de Ribeiro conservada no arquivo histórico do Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia (Alfragide, Portugal), tendo aquelas classificações servido de base a uma monografia publicada por Pereira da Costa, parceiro de Ribeiro na Comissão Geológica, e à definição da estratigrafia dos depósitos terciários portugueses.

Carlos Ribeiro, one of the directors of the Geological Commission of Portugal, voyaged in 1858 to many countries of Europe to acquire publications, equipment and comparator collections. In Paris he met Paul Deshayes, a well-known conchologist, who gave him access to his personal collections of Tertiary deposits from France and helped him to classify Portuguese fossils. The outcome of the joint work can be seen in the Ribeiro List, which is preserved in the historic archives of the National Energy and Geology Laboratory (Alfragide, Portugal). These classifications served as a basis for a monograph published by Pereira da Costa, Ribeiro's colleague on the Geological Commission, and the definition of the stratigraphy of Portugal's Tertiary deposits.

Darwin’s Earthquake / El terremoto de Darwin

Charles Darwin experienced a major earthquake in the Concepción-Valdivia region of Chile 175 years ago, in February 1835. His observations dramatically illustrated the geologic principles of James Hutton and Charles Lyell which maintained that the surface of the earth was subject to alterations by natural events, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and the erosive action of wind and water, operating over very long periods of time. Changes in the land created new environments and fostered adaptations in life forms that could lead to the formation of new species. Without the demonstration of the accumulation of multiple crustal events over time in Chile, the biologic implications of the specifc species of birds and tortoises found in the Galapagos Islands and the formulation of the concept of natural selection might have remained dormant. Hace 175 años (febrero de 1835) Charles Darwin presenció un gran terremoto en Concepción y Valdivia, en Chile. Sus observaciones ilustraron dramáticamente los principios geológicos de James Hutton y Charles Lyell, quienes sostenían que la superfcie de la tierra estaba expuesta a alteraciones por eventos naturales, tales como terremotos, erupciones volcánicas y la acción erosiva del viento y el agua, operando durante largos períodos de tiempo. Cambios en la tierra crearon nuevos ambientes y fomentaron adaptaciones en las formas de vida que pudieron conducir a la formación de nuevas especies. Sin la demostración de múltiples eventos acumulados en la corteza terrestre a través del tiempo, en Chile, las implicaciones biológicas de las especies de aves y tortugas descubiertas en las Islas Galápagos y la formulación del concepto de selección natural habrían permanecido latentes.

Redes y medios de transporte en el desarrollo de expediciones científicas en Argentina (1850-1910) / Transportation networks and means in the development of scientific expeditions in Argentina (1850-1910)

Examina la relación entre el avance en las tecnologías del transporte y el desarrollo de las expediciones de carácter científico entre fines del siglo XIX y principios del siglo XX en Argentina. Se muestra cómo la expansión a escala nacional de la red de ferrocarriles impactó en el desarrollo de las prácticas en el terreno, ampliando el acceso a sitios distantes de las instituciones científicas ubicadas en Córdoba, Buenos Aires y La Plata, simplificando el movimiento de equipamiento, colecciones y personal. Se toman como ejemplo las expedicións realizadas por Hermann Burmeister (1857-1860), por los científicos de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias de Córdoba y las exploraciones arqueológicas en las provincias del noroeste organizadas por instituciones científicas con sede en Buenos Aires y La Plata.

The article explores the relation between the advance of transportation technology and the development of scientific expeditions between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in Argentina. Expansion of the railway network on a national scale impacted the development of the earth sciences by facilitating access to distant places by scientific institutions located in Córdoba, Buenos Aires, and La Plata and also by simplifying the movement of equipment, scientific collections, and personnel. Hermann Burmeister's expedition (1857-60), expeditions by scientists from the Academia Nacional de Ciencias de Córdoba, and archeological digs in the northwestern provinces, organized by scientific institutions headquartered in Buenos Aires and La Plata, serve as examples.

La idea de evolución antes de Darwin: antecedentes históricos e intelectuales del origen de las especies / The idea of evolution before Darwin: historical and intelectual background of origin of species

Historiadores y biólogos tienden a creer en la inexistencia de nociones evolucionistas predarwinianas, con excepción de la teoría evolutiva de Lamarck. El presente trabajo intenta probar lo contrario, por medio del análisis de las ideas que apuntaban a sugerir la transmutación de las especies, que aparecen en la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII, y de las tradiciones y paradigmas imperantes entre 1650 y 1850, que de varias maneras incentivaron el estudio de los seres vivos u obligaron a naturalistas y biólogos a enmarcar sus investigaciones en una estricta lógica científica. En este contexto, se estudian brevemente la tradición de la Teología Natural y el concepto de la Gran Escala de los Seres. También se hace cargo de la polémica entre evolucionistas y creacionistas, muy fuerte en la cultura calvinista anglosajona, pero ajena a los postulados de la Iglesia Católica, que reconoce la teoría de la evolución por selección natural, dejando al alma fuera de este proceso. Por último, se examinan brevemente el proceso de transición desde la historia natural a la biología, y los avances en las ciencias geológicas, señalando las figuras y las obras predarwinianas más importantes en el ámbito de la transformación de las especies.

Historians and biologists tend to believe that there were no pre-Darwinian evolutionary notions, except Lamarck’s evolution theory. This work aims to prove otherwise, through the analysis of the ideas that lead to suggest the transmutation of species, that appeared in the second half of 18th century, and of the traditions and paradigms in vogue between 1650 and 1850, that encouraged the study of living beings or forced naturalists and biologists to frame their investigations in a strict scientific logic. In this context Natural Theology and the concept of the Great Chain of Being are mentioned. This article also includes the controversy between evolutionists and creationists, that was vehement in the anglosaxon Calvinist culture, but not considered by the principles of the Catholic Church, that recognized the theory of evolution by natural selection, leaving the soul out of this process. At last, there is a brief exam of the process of transition from natural history to biology, and the advances in geological sciences, pointing out the most important authors and pre-Darwinian works in the area of the transformation of species.