Francisco Mendez Alvaro, MD (1806-1883) was a member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Medicine. In 1862 he presented a detailed study to the Academy on the aetiology and prevention of leprosy in Spain and advocated that the government must find a means of containing and eradicating leprosy in Spain with the aid of medical science.

International Journal of Leprosy, Centennial Festskrift edition, Vol 41, No 2. 1973.