The Jesuit João de Loureiro (1717-1791)
and the medicinal plants of China
Manuel Serrano Pinto – University of Aveiro, Portugal,
mspinto@ua.pt
Wang Bing – Institute for the History of Natural Science,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
wangb45@sohu.com
Noël Golvers – University of Leuven, Belgium,
Noel.Golvers@arts.kuleuven.be
Rui Manuel Loureiro – New University of Lisbon, Portugal,
descobrimentos@gmail.com
Rosa Pinho – University of Aveiro, Portugal,
rpinho@ua.pt
General plan of the presentation
1. Introduction
2. Short bio-bibliographic note on Loureiro
3. Flora Cochinchinensis and the Chinese medicinal plants
3.1. General characterization of the book
3.2. The medicinal uses of the plants from China
3.3. Loureiros’s herbaria and the medicinal plants
3.4. Criticisms to Loureiros’s botanical work
4. A tentative comparison to Li Shizhen’s Bencao Gangmu
5. Concluding remarks
João de Loureiro’s biographic sketch
1717 – Born in Lisbon. Studied in the religious college of S. Antão
1732 – Entered the Society of Jesus
1735 – Went to Goa as a missionary
1738 – Went to Macao as a missionary
1742 – Went to Cochinchina as a Jesuit astronomer-missionary
Interested in medicinal plants used by local people. Botanical studies based
successively on Dioscorides’ and Linneus’works. Became official naturalist and
astronomer of the court. Mounted an astronomical observatory in the royal
palace
1750-1752 – Out of Cochinchina due to religious persecutions. Botanical
studies in the Philippines and Sumatra
~1753 – Returned to Cochinchina. More botanical studies
1777 – Went to Canton (Guangdong). Botanical studies
When in Asia he was invited in 1780 to go to London by Joseph Banks (but
declined the invitation) and was made a member of the Royal Society
1781 – Return to Portugal. Spent 3 months in Mozambique: botanical studies.
In Lisbon was made a member of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences
1790 – Flora Cochinchinensis published by the Lisbon Academy of Sciences
1791 – Died in Lisbon. Left herbarium, drawings, letters, etc. to the Academy
1793 – German edition of Flora Cochinchinensis published in Berlin
Table 3 – Medicinal properties of some plants from Flora Cochichinensis and from Bencao Gangmu
Scientific name
in Flora
Cochichinensis
Chinese
name
Pinyin
Medicinal properties
in Flora
Cochichinensis
Medicinal
properties in
Bencao Gangmu
Common
names in
English
Polygonum
hydropiper L.
水蓼
shuĭ liăo
Acrid; stimulant; cauterizing
properties
茎叶辛无毒。
主治蛇伤，止蛇毒入腹心闷
。又治脚气肿痛成疮。
Smartweed
Coriandrum
sativum L.
芫荽、
胡荽、香荽
yán sui or
yán sūi*
Seeds: soporific; carminative
根叶辛温微毒。主治消谷，
治五脏，通小腹气，止头痛，
辟蛊毒恶气。
子辛酸平无毒。主治消谷能
食，蛊毒五痔。
Coriander and
others
Croton tiglium L.
巴豆
bā dòu
Seeds: purgative; emetic;
emmenagogue; treatment of
womb obstruction, of dropsy
and of the alteration of the
body humours
辛温有毒。
主治伤寒温疟寒热，积滞泻
痢，破血排脓消肿。
Croton and others
Datura metel L.
[白]曼陀罗（花）
bái màn tuó
luó
Seeds: soporific; inebriant,
antispasmodic; treatment of
asthma crises.
Leaves: treatment of
haemorrhoidal pain, burns and
corrosive ulcers
花、子，辛温有毒。
主治诸风及寒湿脚气。又主
惊痫及脱肛，并入麻药。
Angel’s trumpet and
others
Dichroa febrifuga
Lour.
[黄]常山
huáng cháng
shān
Roots and leaves: febrifuge,
treatment of tertian and
quartian fevers; emetic
苦寒有毒。
主治伤寒寒热，温疟鬼毒，
胸中痰结。治诸疟，吐痰涎
。
Chinese quinine and
other
Kaempferia
galanga L.
山奈
shān nài
Stomachic; good for
headaches; diaphoretic;
effective against contagious
diseases
根辛温无毒。
主治暖中，辟瘴疠恶气。治
心腹冷痛，寒湿霍乱，牙痛
。
Galanga and others
Stemona
tuberosa Lour.
[对叶]百部
dùi yè băi bù
Roots: expectorant; refreshing;
demulcent; treatment of lungs’
illness, of phthisis, of chronic
cough
根甘微温无毒。
主治咳嗽上气。治肺热润肺
。
Wild asparagus and
other
Conclusions
The importance of Loureiro’s botanical studies may be summarized as
follows:
1) They are among the pioneering ethno-botanical studies in China made
by Westerns and have contributed to the progress of botany in general
and of Chinese botany in particular;
2) Through herbaria, drawings and written descriptions, he made known to
Europe for the first time many Chinese plants and promoted the transfer
of some plants from China to Europe;
3) Having corresponded with Western botanists Loureiro played an
important role in the West-East scientific exchange in the 18th century in
the field of botany;
4) The medicinal and several other uses of many plants were made known
to Europe;
5) In comparing the medicinal properties of plants as given in Flora;
Cochinchinensis and as given in Bencao Gangmu differences are seen
mostly due to different ideas on their applications and also due to
differences on the medicinal knowledge in China and in Europe;
6) Loureiro’s studies should be seen in the framework of the European
Enlightment and also in the framework of the physiocratic ideas
prevailing at the time.