List of Spanish inventions and discoveries

The following list is composed of items, techniques and processes that were invented by or discovered by people from Spain.

Inventions from the Golden Age of Al Andalus

• Alcohol distillation
• Animal Testing, first recorded use of animals for medical testing was done by Ibn Zuhr, known as Avenzoar, (1094-1162).
• Antiseptics were in used as early as the 10th century in hospitals in Islamic Spain. Special protocols, in Al Andalus, were used to keep hygiene before and after surgery.
• Botany, Spanish botanist, like Ibn al-Baitar, created hundreds of works/catalogs on the various plants in not only Europe but the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In these works many processes for extracting essential oils, drugs as well as their uses can be found.
• Brass type movable printer press/first printing device in Europe, first invented in Muslim Spain 100 years prior to the invention of printing press, by Johannes Gutenburg of Germany, in 1454.
• Ectopic pregnancy - first described by Al-Zahrawi (936–1013 AD).
• Eye glasses, first invented by Ibn Firnas in the 9th century. ^[1]
• Glass mirrors, used in Islamic Spain as early as 11th century - 200 years prior to the Venetians.
• Inheritance of traits first proposed by Abu Al-Zahrawi (936–1013 AD) more than 800 years before Austrian monk, Mendel. Al-Zahrawi was first to record and suggest that hemophilia was an inherited disease.
• Invention and design of first flying machine, by Ibn Firnas during the 9th century, about 800 years before Leonardo da Vinci. Firnas was said to have tested his machine from the top of the tallest minaret in Cordoba.^[2]
• Inhalation anesthesia, invented by al-Zahrawi and Ibn Zuhr. Used a sponge soaked with narcotic drugs and placed it on patients face.
• Ligatures, described in the work of al-Zarawi (936-1013 AD), Kitab al-Tasrif, one of the most influential books in early modern medicine. Describes the process of performing a ligature on blood vessels.
• Metronome, invented by Ibn Firnas (9th century)
• Mercuric oxide, first synthesized by Abu al-Qasim al-Qurtubi al-Majriti (10th century).
• Migraine surgery, first performed by al-Zahrawi (936–1013 AD).
• Modern surgery. Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi (936–1013 AD), better known in the west as Albucasis, is regarded as the father of modern surgery and is the most quoted surgeon of all times. Albucasis invented over 200 tools for use in surgery - many still in use today.
• Pathology - various Muslim physicians in Spain were crucial in the development of modern medicine. Pathology, obviously was an important development in medicine. The first correct proposal of the nature of disease was described by al-Zahrawi and Ibn Zuhr.
• Pharmacopoeia (book of medicine). During the 14th century, the physician from Malaga, Ibn Baytar, wrote a pharmacopoeia naming over 1400 different drugs and their uses in medicine. This book was written 200years before the supposed first pharmacopoeia was written by German scholar in 1542.
• Speed of sound, was proposed by physicist from Cordoba, Ibn Hazm (994-1064 AD). Ibn Hazm argued and calculated the speed of sound by echoes in the Mosque of Cordoba. He is also credited as being the first to propose that thunder was a production of lightening.
• Spherical Earth Theory by Ibn Hazm (994-1064 AD).
• Water and weight driven mechanical clocks, by Spanish Muslim engineers sometime between 900-1200 AD. According to historian Will Durant, a watch like device was invented by Ibn Firnas.

Construction and architecture

• Artificio de Juanelo by engineer Juanelo Turriano (1500-1585) in the 16th century, designed to supply the city with a source of readily available water by lifting it. At the time they were considered engineering wonders.^[3]

Chemistry

• Pure alcohol distillation
• Modern toxicology, by Mateu Orfila (1787–1853).^[4]
• Discovery of vanadium (as vanadinite) in 1801 by geologist and chemist Andrés Manuel del Río (1764–1849) ^[5]
• Discovery of Tungsten by Fausto Elhuyar and his brother Juan José Elhuyar in 1783.^[6]
• Discovery of element platinum by scientist, soldier and author Antonio de Ulloa (1716–1795) with Jorge Juan y Santacilia (1713–1773).^[7]
• Discovery of carbon monoxide and pure alcohol by alchemist and physician Arnold of Villanova (c. 1235–1311) ^[8][9]

Computing

• Telekino, pioneering of remote control, by engineer and mathematician Leonardo Torres y Quevedo (1852–1936) ^[10]
• Automated calculation machines by engineer and mathematician Leonardo Torres y Quevedo (1852–1936) ^[11]
• Electronic book by teacher, writer and inventor Ángela Ruiz Robles (1895-1975).^[12]

Economics

• Development of the first monetarist theory and the quantitative theory of money by economist Martín de Azpilcueta (1492–1586), member of the School of Salamanca.^[13]

• Precursor of international law theory by Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1480/86 – 1546), member of the School of Salamanca ^[14]

Medicine and Genetics

Drawing by Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1899) of neurons in the pigeon cerebellum

• Synthesis of ribonucleic acid (RNA) by Nobel prize Laureate Severo Ochoa (1905–1993).^[15]
• Neuroscience by Nobel prize Laureate (1906) Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852–1934).^[16]
• Discovery of the microglia or Hortega cell by the neuroscientist Pío del Río Hortega (1882–1945) ^[17]
• First European description of pulmonary circulation by scientist, surgeon and humanist Miguel Servet (1511–1553) ^[18]
• A worldwide used "two-piece" disposable syringe (1978) by Manuel Jalón Corominas (1925–2011) ^[19][20]
• Use of Radiology and Radiotherapy for diagnostics by Celedonio Calatayud (1880-1931).^[21]
• Laryngoscope by singer, music educator, and vocal pedagogue Manuel García (1805-1906).^[22]

Meteorology

• The barocyclometer, the nephoscope, and the microseismograph by meteorologist José María Algué (1856–1930).^[23][24]

Transportation

Pitcairn PCA-2 autogyro, build in the U.S. under Cierva license, 1961.

• Autogyro by Juan de la Cierva, pioneer of rotary flight, direct precursor of the helicopter ^[25]

• Steam engine by Jerónimo de Ayanz y Beaumont , the invention of a steam-powered water pump for draining mines, for which he was granted a patent by the Spanish monarchy in 1606.^[26]

• First machine powered submarine by Narcís Monturiol (1818–1885) ^[27][28]

The Peral Submarine

• Peral Submarine, design of the first fully operative military submarine by Isaac Peral (1851–1895) ^[29]

• The funicular over the Niagara Falls by engineer and mathematician Leonardo Torres y Quevedo (1852–1936) ^[30]

Miscellaneous

• El Ajedrecista, invention of the automatic chess by engineer and mathematician Leonardo Torres y Quevedo (1852–1936) ^[31]
• The mop (1956) by Manuel Jalón Corominas (1925–2011).^[19]

See also

• List of Spanish inventors and discoverers
• Science and technology in Spain

References