2002, Number 6
Surgeons at lea in the New Spain, 16th and 17th Centuries. Estate or Community?
Rodríguez-Sala ML
Full text
Language: Spanish
References: 7
Page: 468-474
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ABSTRACT
The study of which this article constitutes the first part is presented in fuller detail in Space-time Scenarios in the Construction of Social Organization in Science and Technology: States and Communities. In the section on colonial organizations, we studied the estate and community of the surgeons of New Spain (1572-1832). A difficult and long search through primary and secondary sources in Mexican and Spanish archives enabled us to find primary information on 600 of these surgeons (up to June 2002). They are grouped into two categories: civil and military, each of which contains sub-categories, within the civil categories private, of hospital, convent, college, prison, and mining surgeons. For the armed we found forces naval and army surgeons. In analysis of 71 naval surgeons, we found six ship (naos) surgeons (16th and 17th centuries) and 63 contracted by the Royal Navy (18th century) who served in several geographic settings of New Spain (San Blas, Veracruz and Acapulco-Philippines). We conclude the following: despite the natural differences among them, we can say that, as a group, all or the majority of the surgeons excluding those passing through for brief periods had a similar educational and scientific level, maintained professional ties, enjoyed relative freedom to express their complaints and to their carry out surgical tasks. These characteristics indicate the constitution of a social hierarchy with the suggestion of a scientific community in formation. The full study includes, for each surgeon, an analysis of his life and work in each of space-time setting in which he acted.REFERENCES
Hernández Sáenz LM, Learning to Heal, The Medical Profession in Colonial Mexico, 1767-1831, American University Studies, Series XXI, Regional Studies, Vol. 17, Peter Lang, New York, s/f. Los incisos del texto correspondientes a esta sesión están inspirados en el capítulo segundo de esta autora: The Colonial Surgeon.