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[The Protomedicato Tribunal and the royal physicians (1665-1724)]
J Pardo Tomás1, A Martínez Vidal
1Departamento de Historia de la Ciencia de la Institución "Milà i Fontanals", Barcelona.
Insights
This study reconstructs the Board of Royal Physicians during the reigns of Charles II and Philip V, highlighting the Protomedicato
Area of Science:
- History of Medicine
- Medical Governance
- Scientific Revolution in Spain
Context:
- Examines the Spanish Kingdoms during a pivotal era of scientific and medical transition (1665-1724).
- Focuses on the Board of Royal Physicians and its connection to the Castilian Tribunal del Protomedicato.
- Investigates the influence of Italian physicians during this period of medical reform.
Purpose:
- To reconstruct the composition of the Board of Royal Physicians during specific reigns.
- To analyze the role of the Tribunal del Protomedicato in physician selection and control.
- To understand the dynamics between traditional and modern medicine within Spanish institutions.
Summary:
- Utilizes personal records from the Archivo General de Palacio to detail physician appointments and careers.
- Identifies physicians who served on both the Board of Royal Physicians and the Tribunal del Protomedicato.
- Reveals the Protomedicato as a key arena for the integration of new medical knowledge and practices.
Impact:
- Provides insight into the institutionalization of modern medicine in the Spanish Kingdoms.
- Clarifies the power structures and selection processes within royal medical appointments.
- Underscores the significant impact of foreign physicians, particularly Italians, on Spanish medical advancements.
Abstract:
This article tries to reconstruct the composition of the Board of Royal Physicians during the reign of Charles II (1665-1799) and the first part of the reign of Philip V (1700-1724), a crucial period in the introduction of modern science and medicine in the Spanish Kingdoms. Their personal records, to be found in the Archivo General de Palacio in Madrid, have been exhaustively consulted. Some of these royal physicians formed part of the Castilian Tribunal del Protomedicato, by means of which the Board of Royal Physicians was selected, promoted and controlled. The Protomedicato was an important battlefield in the conflict between traditional and modern medicine, in which Italian physicians played a decisive role.