History of Medicine Historical Archive
Faculty of Medicine
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico
The Historical Archive of the Faculty of Medicine was formed fundamentally with the documentation produced by the Faculty of Medicine from their creation as a Medical Sciences establishment in (1833) until the first half of the XXth century.
The archive receives documentation generated by the current Faculty of Medicine that is no longer effective from the administrative point of view. The heritage is also integrated by collections and documentation of independent (doctors) that were donated by their relatives for its safeguards and diffusion of this information.
The Historical Archive is located in the building that was previously the Saint Inquisition and where the School of Medicine was located from the XIXth century up until the first half of the XXth century. SERVICES: The Historical Archive is open to researchers Monday thru Friday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
The Historical Archive will only allow access to adult researchers, supported by a public or private institution, and independent researchers who warranty this quality with their publications.
The Archive provides photocopying services of the materials which are determined by the condition of the documents. The certification and reproduction of images by any means (photographic, digital, or video cameras, etc), requires special permission that will be obtained by a written application indicating how the use will be given to the reproduction. This application will be negotiated in the coordination of the Archive. In cases where the images are used in a publication, the applicant commits to grant the credit corresponding to the institution. The application will accompany with a relationship in which should be pointed out: the classification and characteristic of the material that individuals want to reproduce.
Documental Group: Protomedicato.
Protomedicato was a court established by Spanish royalty to watch over the professional practice of physicians, surgeons, pharmacists, and midwifes. In New Spain, Protomedicato royal court was integrated through the Royal Warrant, lengthening its functions up to 1831 when its suspension was ordered.
Volume. 17 volumes, 368 files
Period. XVIII and XIX Centuries (1744-1831)
Kinds of Documental. Manuscripts and Printings
Description. Edicts, letters, copies of royal warrants, pharmacists, surgeons, druggist, phlebotomists, physicians, obstetrics, and midwifes' test files; vaccination decrees, public hygiene information, nominations, etc.
Documental Group: Faculty of Medicine.
During 1831 the Protomedicato Court is eliminated and replaced with the Medical Faculty of the Federal District (Distrito Federal) consisted of eight medical-surgeon professors, and four pharmacists. This faculty fulfilled almost the same functions than colonial court.
Volume. 5 volumes, 198 files
Period. XIX Century (1831-1840)
Kinds of Documental. Manuscripts and Printings
Description. Surgeons, phlebotomists, obstetric pharmacists, and physicians test files, drugstore visits information, criminal causes for medical practice without degree, and drugstore visits requisitions, degrees records, and studies files.
Documental Group: Superior Salubrity Council.
The council was established on January 4th 1841, and carried out the functions of the institutions that preceded: Protomedicato court and Medical Faculty of the Federal District. Other functions were to supervise the authorized medical practice, sanitary inspection, application of preventive and emergency standards in natural disasters, epidemics.
Volume. 20 volumes, 555 files
Period. XIX Century (1841-1868)
Kinds of Documental. Manuscripts and Printings
Description. Dentists, surgeons, phlebotomists, pharmacist, physicians, and obstetrics' files, degrees registration and renewal, bachelor printed certificate, commission of vaccination, foreign degrees registration, thesis, decrees.
Documental Group: Medicine School and students.
The university was eliminated and replaced with the creation of the Public Education Head Office, with 6 higher education offices, one of them, Medical Sciences Office, later changed its name by College of Medicine and then by School of Medicine. Since 1854, the school had its own place for an appropriate development: an Inquisition ancient building, where stayed during a century. In 1956 it's moved to the Campus (Ciudad Universitaria) where became later into Faculty of Medicine. During 1910, National School of Medicine along with Professional Education Institutions established the bases of National University.
Volume: 645 volumes
Period: XIX-XX Centuries (1833-1954)
Kinds of documental: Manuscripts, Typewritten, Printings, graphics, newspaper-graphics.
Description: Decrees, applications, employees and professors nominations, budgets, expenses and salaries; payrolls, tests, rules, programs and plans of study, schedules, list of students, decrees, statistics.
Documental Group: Edicts and Printings.
The documents that compose this collection were issued by different institutions like: Mexico City Council, New Spain Viceroyalty, Mexico City Healthiness Municipal Board, State Governments, Public Education Head Office, Salubrity Superior Council, Department of the Navy and the Army, Protomedicato Council of Madrid, Royal and Pontifical Mexico University, and Republic constitutional Government.
Volume. Two 50 and 60cm folders
Period. XVIII-XX Centuries (1787-1913)
Kind of documental. Manuscripts, printings
Description. Medical decrees, copies of royal warrants, licenses, notices, agreements, decrees, rules, fliers, edicts, surgeons degrees, bachelors degrees, nominations, budgets, payrolls.
Documental Group: Dr. Jose Joaquin Izquierdo.
His personal information (1893-1974) was provided by his family and produced and gathered through his familiar, social and professional life. Dr. Izquierdo a physiologist and medical historian, was born in Puebla. After he studied in US in 1927, he left the practice of medicine and devoted to teaching and investigation of physiology. He was president of the National Academy of Medicine and Science. About 70 monographic studies and books were made by him.
Volume. 50 boxes (provisional)
Period. XX Century (1904-1972)
Kind of documental. Manuscripts, typewritten, printings, graphics, newspaper-graphics.
Description. Mail, cards, congress programs, itineraries, printings, comments of works, obituary notes, information about events of scientific and cultural societies, catalogues, bibliographical critics, articles, nominations, speeches, brochures, letters, reports, genealogical reviews, bulletins, biographies, photos and various notes.
Documental Group: Faculty of Medicine. Academic Personnel Section.
Faculty of Medicine was an extension of the ancient school, that change its denomination until become finally into Faculty, when was moved to Campus in 1954. This section has information about the academic personnel of such institution.
Volume. 264 boxes
Period. XX Century (1919-1985)
Kinds of documental. Manuscripts, typewritten, printings, graphics, newspaper-graphics.
Description. Files, licenses, nominations, letters, official notice, work records, documents of personal information, applications, copy of degrees, records, diplomas, programs, personal documents, memorandums, programs and plans of study.
Documental Group: Faculty of Medicine. History and Philosophy of Medicine Section.
During 1956 is created by Dr. Francisco Fernández del Castillo the History and Philosophy of Medicine Office. Years later in 1972, the Office is moved to the Ancient School of Medicine including its library and Historical Archives. Dr. Fernández del Castillo managed the office since its creation until 1983. The documents of this section belong to the management of Dr. Fernández del Castillo.
Volume. 29 boxes, 330 files Period. XX Century (1956-1983)
Century (1956-1983)
Kind of Documental. Manuscripts, typewritten, printings, graphics.
Description. Mail, articles and works of historical investigation about subjects of Mexican and universal medicine; transcriptions, resume, brochures, academic personnel files.
Documental Group: School of Medicine and Students. Appendix
Originally these documents belong to the School of Medicine and Students collection that were recently recovered. That is why it is called "appendix".
Volume. 9 volumes
Period. XIX - XX Centuries (1833-1965)
Kind of documental. Manuscripts and printings
Description. Plans of study, university professors and official's nominations, homage, lists of students, advices, etc.
Documental Group: Enrique Santoyo Rodríguez Collection.
He was born in 1914 in Guanajuato, student from National School of Medicine (1932-1938) and also gastroenterology teacher (1960-1963). Dr. Santoyo was the first endoscopist in the Mexican Social Security Institution (IMSS) since 1946 he practiced endoscopies in Clinic #11 of IMSS and in 1848 he was moved to Hospital #2 and he was part of the gastroenterology unit. In 1956 he was at the "Hospital de la Raza" as an independent work. Dr. Santoyo is retired in 1973.
Volume. 6 boxes, 74 files
Period. XX Century (1935-1987)
Kinds of documental. Manuscripts, typewritten, printings
Description. Nominations, reports, academic works, project of endoscopy service, articles.
Documental Group: Salvador González Herrejon Collection.
Dr. González Herrejon is born in Morelia, in 1893 and he dies in San José of Costa Rica in 1965. Outstanding Dermatologist that writes among other things about "mal de pinto". He founded the technical office of the Health Institution campaign against the Malaria. He was rector of the University of Michoacán and professor of the UNAM.
Volume. 2 boxes, 8 files
Period. XX Century (1931-1965)
Kind of documental. Manuscripts, typewritten, graphics
Description. Official and particular documents, speeches, articles, homage, publications, photos.
Documental Group: Dr. Conrado Zuckermann Collection.
Dr. Zuckermann is born on November 7, 1900. He studied medicine at the National School from 1918 thru 1324. First, he was professor at this school as Microscopy and Clinic Chemestry lab assistant and then in areas such as surgical pathology, surgical therapy, clinic of cancerology, and free courses of Cancerology and Gynaecobstetrics. Dr. Zuckermann promoted the creation of the Cancerology National Institute, in which he was foundation member and chief of the campaign against Cancer.
Volume. 2 File folders
Period. XX Century (1912-1983)
Kind of documental. Manuscripts, printings, graphics
Description. Academic files, diploms, congress certificates, photos.
Documental Group: Dr. Ramon Perez Cirera Collection.
He is born in 1906 in Granada, Spain, and studied Pharmacology in Berlin, Germany (1936). In 1937 came to Mexico as refugee and started working as Pharmacology and Physiology teacher at the Faculty of Medicine, UNAM. He was the first Pharmacology teacher (1939) and full time professor in that faculty since 1964. Chief of the Pharmacology department from 1962 thru 1970. Author of many pharmacology publications.
Volume. 7 boxes, 139 files
Period. XX Century (1937-1979)
Kind of documental. Manuscripts, typewritten, printings, graphics, newspapar graphics.
Description. Pharmacology and Physiology congresses, teachers' nominations, pharmacology study plans, teachers' files, research files, mail, pharmacology department reports, contracts, publications.