Biblioteca de Catalunya, Manuscripts and Archives Section

Archive Section: Hospital de Sant Pau

Leprosy documents belong to the holdings of the Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau. The Hospital was created in 1401 by a special privilege of the Catalonia and Aragon King, Martí I. The new hospital was the consequence of the union of the four previous medieval hospitals in the city of Barcelona. These hospitals received the name of their founders: the priest Joan Colom, the priest Pere Vilar, also called Hospital de Sant Macià, both depending on the bishop, and another two hospitals managed by the consellers [city council representatives]. Those two hospitals were called Hospital de Pere Desvilar and Hospital de Bernat Marcús. Afterwards two new hospitals joined them: the Hospital de Santa Margarida o Casa dels Masells and Santa Eulalia Hospital. The Hospital de Santa Margarida o Casa dels Masells was specifically devoted to leprosy patients and the other one was a hospital for pilgrims.

The Hospital de la Santa Creu y Sant Pau Archive is one of the most important Spanish hospital historical archives. It keeps series of documents from six centuries. Nevertheless, the collection is divided. Partly belonging to the General Archives of the Biblioteca de Catalunya and partly located in the new Hospital built at the end of the 19 th century.

One section of the collection of documents relevant to leprosy is located in the manuscripts section of the Archives in the Biblioteca de Catalunya. The other section can be found at the Historical Archive of the Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau, on the second floor of one of the pavilions of the Hospital

List of Documents

A.H.326 R.11154 (1822) Obres (reformes) Hospital de Sant Llàtzer

A large collection of manuscripts entitled “Libranças de las obras de Sant Llatzer. Any 1822. Desde el nº 1 fins a 94. Important 18732,397” [Budget for the works and reforms in Sant Llàtzer. Year 1822, Since num 1 until 94. Total amount 18732,397]. This collection of manuscripts contains all the details of the reforms, payments made by the Muy Ilustre Administración del Hospital General de Santa Cruz de Barcelona, 94 bills signed by the Treasurer, Pere Casanovas, with the proposals for the work, amount of money spent and the person receiving the money.

A.H.571-572 R.11399, R.11400 ( 1837 and 1838) Receptari de medicina I cirurgia [Medical and surgical book of receipts]

A.H.573 R.11401 ( 1838) Receptari visita de Sant Llàtzer [Sant Llàtzer book of receipts]

A.H.571 (1837) Receptari de medicina i cirurgia;Hospital General de Santa Cruz;Mes de Junio de 1837;Visita de Medicina y Cirugía

 “Cuaderno que manifiesta los medicamentos prescritos en el presente mes, por el profesor de Semana a los enfermos de su inspección existentes en el dicho Hospital; suministradas de la botica del mismo, que está encargada al farmacéutico D. José Viñolas por el practicante de farmacia de guardia, que cuida del despacho de esta visita.” [Book containing the list of medicines prescribed to leprosy patients under his charge. Medicines were supplied by the pharmacy of the hospital, managed by the pharmacist, Mr. José Viñolas, and served by the practitioner of the pharmacy in charge of the supply] The book is supplemented with a manuscript of ten pages of dietary allocations, including a column for the days, another for the number of beds, and a third for prescriptions. Prescriptions are signed, in any case, by the practitioner. No specific names or statistics of patients is included.

A.H.572 ( 1838) Receptari de medicina i cirurgia; Hospital General de Santa Cruz; Mes de Enero de 1838; Visita de Medicina y Cirugía

“Cuaderno que manifiesta los medicamentos prescritos en el presente mes, por el profesor de Semana a los enfermos de su inspección existentes en el dicho Hospital; suministradas de la botica del mismo, que está encargada al farmacéutico D. José Viñolas por el practicante de farmacia de guardia, que cuida del despacho de esta visita. [Book containing the list of medicines prescribed to leprosy patients under his care. Medicines were supplied by the pharmacy of the hospital, managed by the pharmacist, Mr. José Viñolas, and served by the practitioner of the pharmacy in charge of supply] The book is supplemented with a manuscript of ten pages of dietary allocations, including a column for the days, another for the number of beds and a third for prescriptions. Prescriptions are signed, in any case, by the practitioner. No specific names or statistics of patients are included.

A.H.573 R.11401 (1838) Receptari visita de Sant Llàtzer; Hospital General de Santa Cruz; Mes de Julio de 1838; Visita de S. Llatzer

“Cuaderno que manifiesta los medicamentos prescritos en el presente mes, por el profesor de Semana a los enfermos de su inspección existentes en el dicho Hospital; suministradas de la botica del mismo, que está encargada al farmacéutico D. Martin Borrell por el practicante de farmacia de guardia, que cuida del despacho de esta visita." [Book containing the list of medicines prescribed to leprosy patients. Medicines were supplied by the pharmacy of the hospital, managed by the pharmacist, Mr. Martin Borrell, and served by the practitioner of the pharmacy in charge of supply] The book is supplemented with a manuscript of ten pages of dietary allocations, including a column for the days, another for the number of beds and a third for prescriptions. Prescriptions are signed, in any case, by the practitioner. No specific names or statistics of patients are included.

Entry made April 23, 2006