José Antonio de Alzate y Ramírez (20 November 1737 – 2 February 1799 ) was a priest in New Spain, scientist, historian, and cartographer.

Life and career

He was born in Ozumba in 1737, the child of Felipe de Alzate and María Josefa Ramírez, a descendant of Juana Inés de la Cruz. He studied in the Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City, graduating with a bachelor in theology in 1756. He was ordained a Catholic priest at the age of 20. Inaugurated in 1768, his Diario literario de Méjico [Literary Newspaper of Mexico] was suspended after only three months. He later created, in 1788, the Gaceta de Literatura [Newspaper of Literature], that was published until 1795 (115 issues). This periodical inspired many of his countrymen to follow his example. Alzate was a controversial figure, frequently meeting with local opposition. Nevertheless, the French and Spanish Academies of Sciences made him a corresponding member. The viceroys of Mexico and the archbishops entrusted him with sundry scientific missions. He was a member of the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid. He died in Mexico City in 1799.

Works

Alzate wrote more than thirty treatises, on subjects including astronomy, physics, meteorology, antiquities, mathematics, and metallurgy. These include: Alzate attained a high reputation as a zoologist and botanist. He conducted several scientific experiments, and wrote numerous articles that were published in science journals. Several of his papers discuss the growing of silk in Mexico. He also wrote a dissertation on the use of ammonia in combating mephitic gases in abandoned mines. In 1772, he published work that showed that the well-known psychedelic effects of pipiltzintzintli were due to natural causes and not the work of the devil (Memoria del uso que hacen los indios de los pipiltzintzintlis; México, D.F.: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México). A study from 2020 confirms that he actively fought for the legislation of medical cannabis. Alzate's account of Xochicalco was the first published description of the ruins. His research led the way for modern exploration of Mexican antiquities.

Legacy

In his honor, the Sociedad Científica Antonio Alzate (Antonio Alzate Scientific Society) was created in 1884. In 1935, this society became the National Academy of Sciences. A dam and reservoir are named in his honor in the State of Mexico, north of Toluca. Plant genus Alzatea (the only genus in Alzateaceae) is named after him.