Military Hospital
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Royal Hospital of Our Lady
Guadalupe
Steve, Maggie and Trooper arrived just before Bear got back from the grocery store, we all had lunch on his return and went for an ice cream before doing our daily “touristy thing”, today the Spanish Military Hospital Museum.
Exhibits are aimed at the care a patient would have had in 1791.
No women were allowed in the main building of the hospital but if their husband was dying he was moved to the first room - the Mourning Room. The staff would ring the bell that alerted the local priest to come and deliver extreme unction. The wife was allowed to stay with her husband until the final breath, then ushered out and given twenty four hours to arrange removal of the body for funeral.
The Ward: Strict regulations dictated by the Government of Spain defined medical care in the Royal Hospital. The comfortable beds were changed by the male orderlies, sheets were washed once a week. Lavender was used to keep the room smelling pleasant. Patients who were not calm were frequently ‘bled’. Chicken stew was prescribed for just about everything with lashings of hot chocolate. Care and attention was of a very good standard and the survival rate was high at around 75%, quite something in those days.
The tool table: shows (from top left) a bleeder, trepanning tool, blood letting hammer, an artery hook, saw and amputation knife, tourniquet and strap. Bullet removing forceps, tooth priser and extractor. Forceps and wound probe. Penny for skull bone replacement. Wooden board, hammer and chisel for swift removal of infected fingers (they were quick to do this for any digit injury as they were well aware of gangrene. Spanish medical education in the 15th and
16th centuries was highly formalised, modeled on the curriculum of the
University of Salamanca founded by King Alfonso IX in 1218, which began training
physicians in 1252. Medical education became available at a number of
institutions, such as the University of Valencia (1500), Seville (1508) and
Alcala de Henares (1510). Alcala trained the bulk of physicians who formed the
professional elite in New Spain after 1570.
To begin the academic study of medicine in
Spain, a candidate needed a Bachelor’s degree in arts acquired after four years
of university study. Next he needed four years of medical curriculum based on
lectures and commentaries on writings of various ancient and medieval
authorities. After this a six month internship was completed. This was extended
to two years in 1563. Then came testing and licensing before being allowed to
practice.
Medical history in the U.S. began with the
founding of St Augustine in 1565. Menendez brought with him two surgeons, a
boticario (apothecary – also trained) with a chest of medicines and five barber
surgeons. These barber surgeons were seen for minor cuts, bleeding, finger
removal etc..
The first hospital was set up in St
Augustine in 1597.
The Apothecary: Only staff members with training were allowed to dispense medicines
Other displays
ALL IN ALL INTERESTING
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