Sousa (Dr Jacinto António de)
Original title: Sousa (Dr. Jacinto António de)
Biography of Jacinto António de Sousa (1818–1880), Madeiran-born professor of physics at the University of Coimbra and director of its physics cabinet and meteorological observatory. He represented Portugal at the 1860 solar eclipse observation in Spain and published meteorological works.
This distinguished professor at the University of Coimbra (Universidade de Coimbra) was born on this island on 3 January 1818, the son of Eugénio António de Sousa. He was a bachelor (bacharel, university graduate) in law and mathematics, and took his doctorate in the Faculty of Philosophy on 6 July 1858.
He held the chair of physics at the University and was one of the most eminent professors of his time. As director of the physics cabinet and the meteorological observatory, he rendered the most outstanding services to these scientific establishments, giving a new direction to the work carried out in them after a journey he made to various European countries.
Commissioned by the Portuguese government, he visited several foreign universities and observatories, and published notable reports on the observations and studies he carried out on his scientific missions. He was chosen as one of Portugal’s representatives to observe the solar eclipse in Spain in 1860, and Dr Simões de Carvalho says ‘that he performed this mission with great honour to his name, to the university and to the country’.
Among other works, he wrote: a report on a visit to the scientific establishments of Madrid, Paris, Brussels, London, Greenwich and Kew, 1862; Observações meteorológicas feitas no observatório meteorologico e magnético da Universidade de Coimbra, 1872; Observações Meteorologicas..., 1873; and Additamento á Memoria Histórica da faculdade de philosophia... 1873. He was director and editor of the scientific and literary review O Instituto, and a member of many scientific societies in Portugal and abroad. He died on 15 August 1880.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 05-
Jacinto António de Sousa was born in Madeira.
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Jacinto António de Sousa took his doctorate in the Faculty of Philosophy at Coimbra.
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Dr Jacinto António de Sousa represented Portugal at the observation of the solar eclipse in Spain.
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Dr Jacinto António de Sousa published his report on visits to scientific establishments abroad.
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Dr Jacinto António de Sousa died.
Place
Places mentioned · 08
- Brussels
Belgium. Visited for its scientific establishments.
Bruxelas (Brussels) is a foreign city. Dr Jacinto António de Sousa visited it for its scientific establishments, and Baron Charles Van Beneden's 1882 book was published there.
- Greenwich
United Kingdom. Observatory visited by Sousa.
Greenwich is a foreign place whose meridian served as the reference for Dr Tiarks's longitude measurement. Its observatory was visited by Dr Jacinto António de Sousa.
- Kew
United Kingdom. Scientific establishment visited by Sousa.
Kew is the site of a botanic garden and scientific establishment visited by Dr Jacinto António de Sousa. It holds Madeiran herbaria, including those of Lowe, João Maria Moniz and Rev. P. Murray, and part of Dr Carlos Lemann's collections.
- London
United Kingdom. Visited for its scientific establishments.
The British capital, the place of publication of many English works on Madeira, including those of the du Canes, Embleton and Bloxam. Mason compared its humidity with Funchal's, and artillery for the Fortress of São Tiago came from there. It hosted the 1909 applied chemistry congress.
- Madrid
Spain. Visited for its scientific establishments.
The Spanish capital, where the Conde da Ega served as Portuguese ambassador and other Madeirans served at the Portuguese legation. Franco de Sousa and Miguéis went there in 1912 on the Valmor grant, and Dr Jacinto António de Sousa visited it for its scientific establishments.
- Paris
France. Visited for its scientific establishments.
The French capital, where Franco de Sousa settled and painted 'Ar livre', and where Juvenal Honório de Ornelas took his medical doctorate in 1834. Padre Luiz Gonçalves da Câmara studied there and met Loyola, and the Barão de Ornelas graduated, practised and died there.
- Spain
Country where he observed the 1860 solar eclipse.
Spain appears as the intended destination of the donatary Simão Gonçalves da Câmara's aborted self-exile, and as the country from which Madeira was asked to send 1,000 soldiers during Castilian rule. It was the origin of many hermit friars who came to Madeira, and the country where the failed 1866 revolution took place.
- University of Coimbra
Portugal. University where Sousa taught physics and directed the observatory.
The University of Coimbra, in mainland Portugal, was supported by Madeira through tithes and attended by many Madeirans. Several of them graduated there, mostly in law, and others, such as António da Gama and Vitúrio Lopes Rocha, also taught there. Júlio Augusto Henriques held its chair of botany.
People
People mentioned · 03- Jacinto António de Sousa1818–1880
Madeiran-born professor of physics at Coimbra University and director of its physics cabinet and meteorological observatory; subject of this entry.
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Father of Dr Jacinto António de Sousa.
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Author quoted praising Sousa's conduct of the 1860 eclipse mission.