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Part III: University of San Carlos Medical School
By the end of the 17th century, six hospitals had been founded in Guatemala. But, lacking scientific information and methods, hospitals provided little more than refuge or asylum. Sickness and cultural attitudes toward it were a social problem. In addition, the times were characterized by conflict between [...]

The latest medical advances in Spain were slow to reach Guatemala which saw its first autopsy in 1622. Hospitals were simple asylums for the sick, consoled by religion.

written by Joy Houston photos: Jack Houston
Part I: 16th Century
What medical options were available centuries ago in Guatemala for wounds from enemy arrows, burns, natural disasters or epidemics?
Mixing medicine with magic was routine in colonial days. “Medical science was slave to theory and superstition,” writes Carlos Martínez Durán in Las [...]