Spanish medic and botanist on the Guantanamo Commission (1796-1801). Baltasar Manuel Boldo was born in Zaragoza, Aragon, and he began his studies there before attending the University of Valencia. After four years he graduated as a medic and began to practice in the general hospital and the Real Hospital de la Pasión in his natal province. In 1793 Boldo was employed as an army medic and was sent to Rosellón to serve in the war against France; after working valiantly in three campaigns, he was named protomedico for Rosellón in 1795. Whilst in Catalonia he undertook research into the chemistry of the local mineral water as well as other epidemiological and botanical studies. At this time he was also a correspondent for the botanic gardens in Madrid, collecting plants, seeds and minerals in the mountains, on the coast and on the Baleares Islands to send back to the capital. In 1796 Boldo moved to Madrid to work in the botanic gardens, treating its staff and studying the medicinal uses of its plants.
It was from here that the government requested his participation on the Real Comision de Guantánamo, (an expedition who's primary concern was the mapping of the bay for military purposes), and Boldo would explore the vegetation as first botanist. He seemed unwilling at first and set out four requisites for his joining the expedition, including going on the trip under the title of medic of the chamber and to retire on half salary on their return. He also requested that while on the trip he collect not only plant specimens but also artefacts from the 'three kingdoms of life', studying mineralogy, shells and other aspects of zoology and making medical and physical observations.
On these pretences he left for Cuba in 1796. It appears that Boldo suffered from several health problems, indeed at the time he was asked to join the expedition he was confined to his house suffering from what he referred to as lymphatic angina that had become ulcerous. Boldo was also the only member of the expedition to have suffered from the journey, arriving in ill health and initially unable to work. He botanised in the west of the island and collected a lot of material for the Flora cubana which he unfortunately failed to finish due to his untimely death in Havana in 1799. Boldo's field assistant, José Estévez, continued his work after his death and at the end of the expedition in 1802 they had some 2,000 specimens and 66 drawings by the artist José Guío. Boldo mentioned, however, that he had pressed 3,700 plants from 382 species, 27 of which were new to science, as were five genera. A few months before his death, Boldo had travelled to the U.S.A. and collected a number of plant specimens in Baltimore. It was also here that he made meteorological observations which were published in Papel Periódico de la Habana and in 1798 he named the genus Villanova. The genus Boldoa was named after him by A. J. Cavanilles and A. L. Jussieu.
Sources:
Barras y de Aragon, F. de las, 1952, "Los Naturalistas en la expedición del Conde de Mopox a la Isla de Cuba en 1786", Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Historia Natural. Sección Biológica. 50: 425-434
Colmiero, M. (1858). La Botánica y Los Botánicos de la Península Hispano-Lusitana. Imprenta y Estereotipia de M. Rivadeneyra. Madrid.
García Montoya, F. (2003). Botánicos de los Siglos XVI, XVII y XVIII. Cabra. Córdoba.
San Pío Alardeen, M. P. and Puig-Samper Mulero, M. Á, Eds. (1999). Las Flores del Paraíso: La Expedición Botánica de Cuba en los Siglos XVIII y XIX. Real Jardín Botánico, Madrid.
Archives:
Archivos Real Jardín Botánico Madrid. Correspondence between Baltisar Manuel Boldo and various parties about his appointment on the Real Comisión de Guantánamo. I,8,6,1.
