[Medical care at the Royal Hospital of Natives].
After the Conquest, the indigenous populations of New Spain were left unprotected by the new government. Thus the Royal Hospital of Naturals (RHN) was created, offering care to the indigenous population for health and with hospitality, as well as religious aid. However, later solely care was provided. The RHN had great support from the Spanish Crown and became a suitable place for clinical investigation that on the peninsula and in all of Europe was forbidden: the autopsies, that in indigenous population are carried out without sanction, only needing authorization of local authorities for their accomplishment, considering the indigenous as inferior to Spaniards. In addition, the RHN was the best place for foundation of the Royal Surgery School of Mexico in the XVIII century. The contribution of the RHN was the fusion of indigenous medicine with European medicine, increasing the therapeutic resource array, as well as the opportunity of carrying clinic investigation through autopsy's for better clinic correlation, and matchless learning for the era in the art of out surgery, this being an important point in the development of the medicine and surgery of Mexico.
Romero-Huesca
Andrés
A
Departamento de Cirugía, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, Hospital General de Zona No. 30 Iztacalco, IMSS, México DF, México. andreahuesca@yahoo.com.mx
Ramírez-Bollas
Julio
J
D013502:General Surgery / Q000266:history*; D049669:History, 16th Century; D006761:Hospitals / Q000266:history*; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D005791:Patient Care / Q000266:history