Political resonancies in an extraordinary chair at the 17th century Real Universidad de México. Reading of Galen’s Methodus medendi

Abstract

In this analysis, the social and political importance acquired by medicine chairs in the mid XVII century is described, when the visitador don Juan de Palafox y Mendoza imposed a series of reforms in the Real Universidad de México (Mexico Royal University). As a consequence of the Royal visita, medical chairs acquired a political note due to the existing link between the medicine prima chair at the Royal University and the chair at the Protomedicato Royal Tribunal, such link was also encouraged by Palafox y Mendoza. The specific case of the Methodus medendi chair is studied because it lacked weight in the curriculum of medicine students, but it grew to have a positive meaning in the early years of university professors.