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Published on: May 16, 2016
[The Royal Chemistry Laboratory (1694-1700)]
Insights
The Royal Chemistry Laboratory in Spain, founded in 1693, failed due to opposition and an alchemical influence. This study covers its early struggles and eventual decline.
Area of Science:
- History of Science
- Chemistry
- Alchemy
Context:
- The late 17th century in Spain saw significant scientific transformation.
- The Royal Chemistry Laboratory was established during this period.
- Opposition from established medical and royal institutions hindered its progress.
Purpose:
- To analyze the establishment and early operational phases of the Royal Chemistry Laboratory in Spain.
- To examine the factors contributing to its eventual failure.
- To understand the scientific and cultural milieu of late 17th-century Spain.
Summary:
- The Royal Chemistry Laboratory, founded in 1693 by Dionisio de Cardona, faced immediate opposition from the Protomedicato and royal apothecaries.
- The laboratory's history (1693-1700) is divided into two phases: a struggle between innovators and traditionalists (1693-1697), and a period marked by alchemical influence (1697-1700).
- The traditionalists ultimately triumphed, and the second phase aligned with the superstitions of Charles II's court.
Impact:
- The study highlights the institutional and societal barriers to scientific advancement in late 17th-century Spain.
- It reveals the complex interplay between emerging scientific practices and entrenched traditional beliefs.
- The findings offer insights into the decline of scientific institutions due to internal conflicts and external pressures.
Abstract:
One of the most interesting events of the trasformation of science in Spain toward the end of the XVII century was the foundation of the Royal Chemistry Laboratory. This institution, brillantly promoted by the physician Dionisio de Cardona, was condemned to failure from the very beginning, due to the opposition of the Protomedicato and the royal apothecaries in the service of King Charles II. The period studied here, between 1693 and 1700, comprises two different phases: an initial stage (1693-1697) characterized by the struggle between novatores and traditionalists, which ended in triumph for the latter; and a second stage (1697-1700) completely separate from the initial measures, in which the influence of alchemy was marked. This stage can be considered compatible with the series of spells and superstitions that characterized the court of Charles II.
