Abstract Summary
The present paper looks at the research work developed in the early twentieth century by the histologist Abel L. Salazar (1889-1946) to explore the role of visual representations in the production of scientific knowledge. Medical doctor, professor, scientist and visual artist, Abel Salazar is a multifaceted figure of the Portuguese cultural setting of his time. Resorting extensively on the so-called tannin-iron staining method in the study of mammalian tissue slices, Salazar´s writings also include the procedure of microscopic drawing. These texts are an expression of the methodological concern that is well present in his research work. Building upon published texts (papers and textbooks), as well as archival sources, my analysis focuses on his effort in reflecting on the process of drawing in the record of microscopy observations and in the training of the researcher as observer. I will argue that staining and drawing are closely linked tools in his work, both present at the level of knowledge production, and, more broadly, that drawing may have an important epistemic role in the scientific practice.
