[Medical care and environmental hygiene in Mexico City from the 16th through the 18th century]

Abstract

This paper deals with public health in Mexico City from the 16th to the 18th century. The first part is about sickness and epidemics; the origin of a very high concerned with death rate at that time; general and private hospitals foundations, and about the role of the Church, Medical Board and the Viceroy in Health Care and Preventive Medicine. Medical care was efficient in these aspects. The second part deals with public services concerning public health as a clean environment and streets and collecting garbage, problems that caused sickness according to the ideas of those days. A clear environment was good until the second half of the 18th century. The paper is divided as follows: introduction; sickness and epidemics; medical care; actions against epidemics; public services, and final commentary.