[The Health Boards in New Spain. 18th and 19th Centuries]

Abstract

Objective: To describe the function of New Spain's Boards of Health, which were created in times of emergencies as in epidemic diseases or natural catastrophes.

Material: Most of the information comes from primary sources, such as the rules, orders and reports of the Boards of Health.

Results: Whenever an epidemic disease appeared in New Spain, there were not enough physicians, hospitals or medical services to fulfill the needs of society. The response was the creation of Boards of Health that functioned as charitable groups. Their purpose was to provide food, clothing and medical support to the sick, by collecting donations and distributing them among the needed, and also by assigning physicians to specific geographical sectors within cities.

Conclusions: The presence of Boards of Health was useful to fight epidemics in New Spain allowing the team work not only among physicians, but also among parish priests and neighborhood to offer assistance and help to sick people as medical, welfare work and soulful support.