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Ancient Mexico and the origin of hospitals
In his detailed account of the customs and traditions in ancient New Spain, Fray Bernardino de Sahagún reveals that in the majestic Tenochtitlanthe medical field responded to the name of texoxotlaliztli. In charge of mitigating internal ailments, the titícitl occupied the role of general physician, treating what was known as tlamatepatliticitl.
For surgical work, the texoxotlaticitl was designated, and the healing techniques were called tepatiliztli. Medical knowledge was acquired through empirical teaching, transmitted from one generation to the next.
The accounts of the chroniclers of the time have recorded the hospital’s antecedents. In his writings, the Jesuit Francisco Xavier Clavijero alludes to the existence of the cocoxcalli or “house of the sick”, a place where people went in search of healing. In addition, Bernardino de Sahagún identifies one of the seventy-eight buildings of the Templo Mayor as etlatiloyan, dedicated to the care of lepers.
Eduard Seler, in his work“Excavations at the site of the Templo Mayor of Mexico“, approximately locates this precinct in the present Republic of Guatemala, near the Cathedral Passage.
In this early Mesoamerican era, medicine was rooted in botany, giving great relevance to medicinal plants. These valuable species grew in the royal gardens, located in what today is known as the areas of Madero, Isabel la Católica, Venustiano Carranza and Eje Central.
However, after the fall of Tenochtitlan, the situation took a drastic turn. Contact between the local inhabitants and the Spanish soldiers led to the emergence of previously unknown epidemics, such as smallpox and measles.
In addition, diseases such as malaria, whooping cough and yellow fever emerged, which significantly decimated the indigenous population.
First hospitals in New Spain
In the aforementioned period, the hospitals of New Spain emerged, and their relevance is insignificant due to the fact that, in addition to meeting specific health needs, they played a crucial role in the formation of a new idiosyncrasy.
It is fair to say that in these hospitals, mostly administered by religious leaders, the foundations of miscegenation were laid. Beyond this, these precincts facilitated the advance of evangelization and education, means through which the Spanish colonizers spread their beliefs while amalgamating their traditions with those of the natives, giving rise to fusions in language, cuisine, architecture and more.
This environment laid the foundations for the “church-hospital-convent” triad, whose services were provided around one or two courtyards or cloisters, which sometimes also served as recreational spaces for patients. In most cases, these buildings consisted of two floors: the lower level housed service areas such as the kitchen, pantry, refectory (dining room), bathrooms and laundry, while the upper floor was intended for the sick. Likewise, the orientation of the services was considered to ensure a pleasant temperature and good ventilation in all rooms.
Hospital de Jesús
In 1521, Hernán Cortés built the first hospital on the American continent in Huitzillán, known as the “place of hummingbirds”. This historic site marked the meeting between Cortés and Moctezuma Xocoyotzin on November 8, 1519, and was consecrated in honor of the Immaculate Conception. Today, this former hospital bears the name of Jesús Nazareno and is located at the intersection of República de El Salvador, Pino Suárez, Mesones and 20 de noviembre.
Originally, this institution functioned as a sanatorium for the less fortunate, and it was here that the pioneering physicians and surgeons of the novo-Hispanic capital, Cristóbal de Ojeda, Pedro López and Diego Pedraza, worked. The patronage of this health center, granted by Pope Clement VII (Giulio de’ Medici) in 1529, was perpetuated in the family of Cortés and his heirs.
Today, it is the only one of the historic hospitals that maintains its purpose of serving the community and retains some of its original design.
Although it has undergone significant transformations, especially during the post-revolutionary period and in the thirties of the last century, when the opening of 20 de Noviembre Street and the widening of Pino Suárez Street took place.
San Lazaro Hospital
In 1524, the operation of the second hospital, the Hospital de San Lázaro, began. It was located on the outskirts of the city, in a space known as Tlaxpana, near the area now occupied by the San Cosme market.
However, in 1528, Beltrán Nuño de Guzmán ordered its demolition, justifying that the Santa Fe aqueduct, responsible for carrying water from Chapultepec, ran the risk of contamination if patients approached it to get water.
This situation generated significant problems: the metropolis experienced an outbreak of leprosy and lacked an adequate place to care for the sick. It was in 1572 when Dr. Pedro Lopez, known as the “father of the poor”, was the first doctor in the country to be diagnosed with leprosy. proposed the construction of the new San Lazaro Hospital in the northeast of the city, in the area currently known as La Candelaria neighborhood.
This institution was intended to meet the needs of the entire New Spain territory. Its organizational structure was distinctive.
The section for men was divided into three areas: one for Spaniards and mestizos, another for indigenous people, and a third in which both categories were mixed. In contrast, the women’s section was a shared space.
At the time of admission, the patient’s belongings remained under custody and administration, being returned only if the patient managed to recover.
Hospital del Amor de Dios
Fray Juan de Zumárraga: Founder of the Hospital of the Love of God for the Sick in 1539.
In 1539, the illustrious Fray Juan de Zumárraga established the Hospital del Amor de Dios, dedicated to provide care to those affected by syphilis, buboes and gallic disease. This healing center received the protection of the holy doctors Cosme and Damian. The hospital was managed by a board of trustees headed by the monarch, with ecclesiastical supervision by the archbishopric. Annually, it reported to the viceregal authorities on the administration of its assets.
Located on the site of the former prison of the archbishopric, the hospital was initially erected on these grounds and later expanded using the houses belonging to the indigenous girls’ school. Its facilities included separate sections for men and women, one for patients undergoing anointing treatment and another for convalescents.
In its beginnings, the hospital had forty beds. However, by the end of the 18th century, this number had increased significantly, reaching a total of one hundred and fifty beds.
In 1786, Archbishop Alonso Núñez de Haro decided to transfer patients with syphilis to the venereal ward at the General Hospital of San Andrés. The lack of resources for the construction of a specialized building led to the decision to convert the space into the future headquarters of the prestigious San Carlos Academy in subsequent years.
Royal Hospital of San José de los Naturales
This hospital, founded thanks to a sovereign’s decree issued on May 18, 1553, played a crucial role in providing medical care to the native population at the time. Its original location was near what is now known as the Eje Central, precisely between Victoria and Artículo 123 streets. Today, the area houses the San Juan de Letran subway station.
During the years 1576 and 1577, this hospital complex deployed its numerous wards to deal with a serious influenza epidemic that affected the population. It is important to note that significant advances in the field of medical science were achieved here.
According to the account of the chronicler Agustín Dávila Padilla, in 1576 Dr. De la Fuente carried out the first dissection of an indigenous person in the Royal Hospital of Mexico. This action was carried out in the company of other physicians with the objective of studying the disease and applying effective remedies. As dissections became commonplace, the Hospital de Naturales acquired a leading role.
By 1762, the hospital already had an amphitheater where the Royal School of Surgery conducted two anatomical studies each month. In addition, the university’s chairs of anatomy and surgery were taught in the same place. Beyond its role in medical education, this hospital also housed the Coliseo theater, where fundraising events were held to provide medical care to the sick in need.
As time went by, the hospital’s relevance began to wane, and in February 1824, its facilities were adapted to house the agricultural school. Finally, in 1933, it was demolished as part of the expansion of San Juan de Letran Street.
St. Hippolyte Hospital
In 1566, Fray Bernardino Álvarez erected this pioneering institution: the first asylum on the American continent. The care of this establishment was in the hands of the order of St. Hippolyte of Charity, under whose name it was recognized from the beginning.
After overcoming the turbulent challenges of the war of national independence in 1821, the order faded away, passing hospital administration to civilians. This change reflected the broader transformation of society, where health institutions were handed over to lay authorities.
San Hipólito offered its services until the beginning of the 20th century, when, commemorating the centennial of Independence in 1910, the General Hospital of La Castañeda was created in the south of the city. As a result, this historic enclave closed, referring patients to the new medical entity.
Hospital de San Juan de Dios or Hospital de los Desamparados
Around the year 1586, the Hospital de los Desamparados was erected on the site previously occupied by the structure known as Casa del Peso de la Harina, originally used as a flour warehouse. The management of this hospital was taken over by the order of San Juan de Dios in 1604.
Its cloister was linked to the sacristy of the church of San Juan de Dios, which soon earned it the association with this name.
During the second half of the 19th century, at the time of the Second Empire, these facilities housed the nascent Health Institute, intended for the specialized care of women involved in prostitution and became a reference center for the treatment of venereal diseases.
This is how it came to be known as the Hospital de la Mujer (Women’s Hospital). In 1931, the former Hospital de los Desamparados obtained the distinction of national monument and currently houses the Franz Mayer Museum.
Hospital de Terceros de San Francisco or Hospital Real de Nuestra Señora de la Pura y Limpia Concepcion
In 1717, the imperative need emerged to establish a new hospital institution whose primary objective was to provide medical care for members of the Franciscan order and for the community in general.
Once the precious royal and pontifical backing was obtained, the Franciscans undertook tireless efforts to raise the necessary resources to materialize their commendable purpose.
This work was carried out with a tenacious perseverance that allowed the uninterrupted realization of this grandiose project. The hospital opened its doors in 1760 and functioned until the second half of the 19th century.
As a curious and memorable detail, it is worth mentioning that María Ignacia Javiera Rafaela Agustina Feliciana Rodríguez de Velasco y Osorio Barba Jiménez Bello de Pereyra Hernández de Córdoba Solano Salas Garfias, commonly known as the renowned “Güera” Rodríguez, died in one of the rooms of this transcendental hospital.
This distinguished Creole lady played a significant role as a promoter of the independence movement. Due to the reforms introduced by the Reform Laws, the administration of hospitals ceased to be the responsibility of religious orders.
In 1863, the management of the Hospital de Terceros was turned over to civilians, and, as in other situations, it gradually ceased to operate as a hospital facility to acquire new uses.
This building came to serve as the headquarters of the Second Mexican Empire and later housed the School of Commerce, in addition to being the home of the Mexican Society of Geography and Statistics. By 1900, the old hospital disappeared to make way for the construction of the majestic Palacio de Correos, whose construction was completed in 1907. Today, this building stands as one of the most emblematic pillars in the architectural context of the Historic Center.
San Andres General Hospital
In 1572, the Jesuits arrived in New Spain, establishing several educational institutions, among them the Santa Ana novitiate. Opened in 1626 on historic Tacuba Street, this order was transformed into the Colegio de San Andrés in 1676. However, in the following century, the Jesuits fell out of favor with the authorities due to accusations of political agitation. On April 2, 1767, by order of Charles III, they were expelled from New Spain.
At the same time, a smallpox epidemic was devastating the population, which required the creation of a place to care for the sick. Thus, in 1779, the school began to function temporarily as a hospital. This decision proved to be extremely successful and in only two years it became official as a general hospital, with a capacity that could attend up to one thousand patients.
The hospital of San Andrés became the last establishment of its kind under Spanish rule in the novo-Hispanic capital, adopting a modern approach in providing services to the community at large.
Until 1861, the hospital was under the administration of the metropolitan miter, at which time it passed into the hands of the civil authorities. Its work expanded beyond medicine, becoming an assistance and educational center until 1905. In 1806, it even taught practical medicine, under the auspices of Archbishop Francisco Javier de Lizana y Beaumont.
In June 1867, after the execution of Maximilian of Habsburg at Cerro de las Campanas, the emperor’s body was embalmed in the chapel of San Andres. However, due to problems in the procedure, the process had to be repeated and was carried out in the chapel.
On the first anniversary of the execution, tributes to Maximilian were held in San Andres, accompanied by speeches in his memory. However, the liberal authorities interpreted this as a monarchical connotation and, therefore, ordered the demolition of the chapel. Juan José Baz y Palafox was in charge of this task, giving rise to the current Xicoténcatl Street, which separates the old Senate of the Republic and the National Museum of Art.
A significant achievement of the San Andrés hospital was progress in terms of gender equity. In 1873, Matilde Montoya Lafragua began her medical studies under the tutelage of Manuel Soriano, marking an important milestone. Matilde Montoya Lafragua became Mexico’s first female physician, leaving a lasting legacy in the history of medicine.
