Rio de Janeiro Scientific Academy “created by influence and proposal of José Henriques de Paiva, physician of viceroy of Brazil, marquis of Lavradio, that was after his president”, had its first session at 18th February 1772. Here, Manuel Joaquim Henriques de Paiva, spoke about physics, chemistry, pharmacy and agriculture. Returning to Portugal at 1772, he made his registration at Faculty of Medicine of Coimbra University at 16th December 1775, when he has a certificate of fourth year of Philosophical Course (meaning Natural Sciences Studies), that was preparatory to Medicine Studies. At beginning, he just goes to second year at 1773 because he had a Rio de Janeiro competent certificate, because there was at Brazil courses accepted as universitarian at Coimbra. At Medicine, he was at second year at December 1776, at third at 1777, at fourth at 1778, at fifth at 1780, not concluding at 1781, because he didn’t study at 1779-1780 because Coimbra had an inquisitorial environment.

By appointment of Italian professor Domingos Vandelli, at first February 1774, with 21 years, he was demonstrator of chemistry as second year student, but suffered scientific counter revolution against Pombal Reform, being also companion of leisure and cultural group of Brazilian Melo Franco, author of Stupidity Kingdom, a poem done to combat this scientific counter revolution. As salary, it was decided that he must receive 4% of laboratory sales, but as profits cannot give “competent stipend”, but this income was contested at 7th May 1783, disgusting him. So, he went to Lisbon at September 1783, leaving this work that was occupied quickly by Constantino Botelho de Lacerda Lobo. Later, Link considered this professor incompetent, and we can think that persecution to Manuel Joaquim Henriques de Paiva has the secret aim to give him this employment.

Pursuing an intense career, he proved that Pharmaceutical Chemistry was fundamental to development of Chemistry Teaching and after he was as compensation appointed “7º professor of Pharmacy of Philosophy Faculty from 1804 to 1808; equivalent to Doctor by D. John VI Royal Letter; 6º Professor of Pharmacy from 1818 to 1822”. It was a service that he performed firstly at Lisbon, going after to Baía, where he died at 10/3/1829. In the meantime, he has done a varied and enormous scientific work at Pharmacology and Medicine, evidencing as remarkable value as doctor, scientist and science divulgator.