Frederico Carlo Hoehne and the Horto Oswaldo Cruz

Abstract

Over its lifetime, the Butantan Institute (in São Paulo) has developed some activities focusing on the study of botany. Within the Institute, the Oswald Cruz Botanical Garden was created amidst the discussions about public health and focused on the study and cultivation of medicinal and poisonous plants. Botanist Frederico Carlos Hoehne, who led the initiative, was recognized by his studies in the area and by his performance in governmental institutions of São Paulo at the time. In this paper, we analyze Hoehne’s performance while he was in charge of the Botanical Garden from 1917 to 1924. This study approaches the activities performed in this institution and aims to understand the routine of scientific practices based on the cultivations and on establishing a network with interlocutors. The analysis of the annual reports produced by the Butantan Institute and Hoehne’s publications show how the established objectives were transformed into actions on a daily basis, highlighting the interests related to health and the different uses of the cultivated specimens. The results indicate that, although governmental orientations were important, they were not exclusively considered. The interlocutors of the Botanical Garden, Hoehne’s preferences and the limits imposed by material conditions influenced and helped to delimit what had been done.