Category	Institutional Archive
Organization	Ministerio de Educación, Cultura e Deporte
Country	Spain
Address	Serrano, 115, 28006, Madrid, Spain
URL	http://www.mecd.gob.es/

The Archivo Histórico Nacional (AHN) [National Historical Archive of the Spanish Kingdom] was created on 28th of March, 1866. It was conceived as a "general public archive of the [Spanish] Kingdom". Several circumstances influenced its foundation: the intellectual fashions in the nineteenth century, important reforms in public administration and the need to gather and organize all the documentation of the ecclesiastical institutions secularised by the State, previously stored in the Ministerio de la Gobernación and the Real Academia de la Historia [Royal Academy of History]. The application of desarmortización laws affecting ecclestical possessions during the central decades of the nineteenth century accelerated this process. Until the end of this century, all documents were kept by the Real Academia de la Historia, which became the seat for the new Archivo Histórico Nacional.

In 1896, the archive was transferred to the Palacio de Bibliotecas y Museos [ Palace of Libraries and Museums]. The new installation of the Archive under the direction of Vicente Vignau Ballester created a stimulus for the institution to become a great national archive. Then all the documents produced by the central administration that were distributed till then in the different buildings and ministries were installed in the new archive with the documents previously installed in the academy. All these papers were completely inaccessible to researchers and their conservation and survival was threatened. In 1953, the fonds were transferred to the present building in Serrano Street 115.

The National Historical Archive of Spain contains documents pertaining to leprosy that date from the 19th century. The records and documents related to leprosy are organised and included according to the following items:

Fond: Gobernación [Internal affairs]

Section: Fondos contemporáneos [Contemporary Fonds]

Series: General

Sub-series: Beneficencia-Sanidad [Welfare-Health]

A number of these sources are studies on leprosy within particular provinces in 1862. The specific provinces mentioned are Lugo (1798/6), Navarra (1798/8), Tarragona (1798/10) and Zaragoza (1798/12).

Two files document requests to admit certain people into the Orden Civil de Beneficencia. The first (471/16, dated 1890) is for a doctor, Oswaldo Codina Zapico, for his services to the study of leprosy in the province of Alicante and for his help in constructing a leprosy hospital. The second (1500/8, dated 1879-1880) is for the Secretary of the Ayuntamiento (Municipal Government) of Malaga, Eulogio López Giménez, for his services in dealing with different diseases, including leprosy.

There is a file (831/49) relating to the creation of a sanitorium for leprosy patients in Carratraca; and an historical study (1798/5) of a tuberculoid leprosy case in the Hospital of San Juan de Dios in Madrid.

A document (1798/2) dated 1852-1860 concerns a new method of treatment for leprosy, developed by a Brazilian doctor, Francisco de Acosta; a collection of data about leprosy by Doctor Albrecht, a professor of the University of Berlin; and methods to adopt in treating leprosy patients.

A report (1798/1) from 1862, drawn up by the Subdelegation of Medicine of La Palma island in the Canaries, regards leprosy and other illnesses on the island. Notices from the Royal Order of 14th May, 1862 are also included, with numbers of sufferers.

Another file (1-2690) includes documents produced by the Dirección General de Beneficencia y Sanidad that relate to the construction and maintenance of hospitals (including leprosaria) and activity concerning diseases such as leprosy, other aspects to do with public hygiene and the creation of a sanitary infrastructure.

Fonds Related to Leprosy in the Archivo Histórico Nacional (AHN)

Document number: Esp28001101000011300004; Signature: * 000001-2690

These fonds include several series of documents produced by the Dirección General de Beneficencia y Sanidad [General Directory for Welfare and Health]. They are exclusively devoted to sanitary/health matters, including construction and maintenance of hospitals, health personnel of the Ministerio de la Gobernación [Ministry of Internal Affairs], activities and policies in the battle against epidemics and other aspects related to public hygiene and the creation of sanitary infrastructures. Some of these documents and records refer to leprosy hospitals. ( S.XIX)

Document number: Esp28001101000011300277; Signature: * 000471/16

Files containing several documents concerning the appointment of Doctor Oswaldo Codina Zapico in the Orden Civil de Beneficencia to develop a study of leprosy in the province of Alicante [Fontilles Sanatoria] and to acknowledge his assistance in the construction of a hospital for leprosy patients. (1890)

Document number: Esp28001101000011300532; Signature: *000831/49

Files containing several documents about the creation of an infirmary for leprosy patients, an army infirmary and a library in the town of Baños de Carratraca. (1854-1957)

Document number: Esp28001101000011300873; Signature: * 001500/8

Files containing several documents concerning a request for admission to the Orden Civil de Beneficencia of Don Eulogio López Giménez , secretary of the Málaga City Hall. He had served in different times of epidemic, helping with leprosy patients and during the events that happened in the town on the 1st of January 1869, when a confrontation took place between fellow countrymen and the army. (These documents contain an issue of the Boletín Oficial de Málaga dated 22 of May 1879). (1879-1880)

Document number: Esp28001101000011301205; Signature: * 001798/1

Reports and documents from the Subdelegación de Medicina de la Isla de La Palma (La Palma Island, Canary Islands). These are related to leprosy, pelagra and acrodinia patients and the epidemiological problem those diseases created in the villages of this island . The documents include some news, reports and records demanded by the Real Orden in 14th of May, 1862. They are related to the number of leprosy, pelagra and acrodinia patients in the whole Canary Islands. (1862)

Document number: Esp28001101000011301206; Signature: * 001798/2

File containing several documents about the illness, leprosy, and a new method of treatment developed by the Brasilian doctor Francisco de Acosta. A request for information about leprosy in Spain from Doctor Albrecht, Professor of the University of Berlin. Several papers including recommendations about what should be done with those affected by leprosy. (1852/1860)

Document number: Esp28001101000011301207; Signature: * 001798/3

File containing several documents and reports about leprosy, including a request demanding special studies of several diseases and also information from several doctors about the incidence of pelagra (1861/1866)

Document number: Esp28001101000011301208; Signature: * 001798/4

File containing several documents about leprosy, pelagra and acrodinia patients. General figures from different provinces are included. (1862/1862)

Document number: Esp28001101000011301209; Signature: * 001798/5

A historical description about a tuberculoid leprosy patient at the San Juan de Dios Hospital. (1862/1862)

Document number: Esp28001101000011301210; Signature: * 001798/6

File containing several documents and statistics concerning leprosy, pelagra and acrodinia patients in the province of Lugo (Galicia). (1862  / 1862)

Document number: Esp28001101000011301211; Signature: * 001798/7

Files containing several documents and statistics concerning leprosy, pelagra and acrodinia patients in several Spanish provinces (1862  / 1863)

Document number: Esp28001101000011301212; Signature: * 001798/8

A detailed document (report) on leprosy written by practitioners working in the province of Navarra. The document concerns leprosy and other patients in Navarra province. (1862/1862)

Document number: Esp28001101000011301213; Signature: * 001798/9

Files containing several documents and statistics concerning leprosy and other patients in several Spanish provinces. (1862/1863)

Document number: Esp28001101000011301214; Signature: * 001798/10

Files containing several documents and statistics concerning leprosy and other patients in the province of Tarragona (Catalonia) (1862 /1862)

Document number: Esp28001101000011301215; Signature: * 001798/11

Files containing several documents and statistics concerning leprosy and other patients in several Spanish provinces. (1862 / 1863)

Document number: Esp28001101000011301216; Signature: * 001798/12

Files containing several documents and statistics concerning leprosy and other patients in the province of Zaragoza (Aragon). (1862  / 1862)

Document number: Esp28001101000011301217; Signature:  * 001798/13

Files containing several documents and statistics concerning leprosy and other patients in several Spanish provinces. (1862 / 1862)

Document number: Esp28001101000011301218; Signature: * 001798/14

Files containing several documents and statistics concerning leprosy and other patients in the American colonies. (1862/1864)

Entry made 28 May 2002
Updated 20 June 2002 and 31 May 2006

Name	Head Archivist
Organization	Archivo Histórico Nacional
Address	Archivo Histórico Nacional, Serrano, 115, 28071 Madrid, Spain.
Telephone	+34 917 688 500
Fax	+34 915 631 199