Cristóvão da Costa

Life & Legacy

Cristóvão da Costa or Cristóbal Acosta and Latinized as Christophorus Acosta Africanus (c. 1525 – c. 1594) was a Portuguese doctor and natural historian. He is considered a pioneer in the study of plants from Asia, especially their use in pharmacology. Together with the apothecary Tomé Pires and the physician Garcia de Orta he was one of the pioneers of Indo-Portuguese medicine. He published a book on the medicinal plants of the orient titled Tractado de las drogas y medicinas de la Indias Orientales in 1578.