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The Cabildo and Public Health in Seventeenth Century Santiago Chile

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

Della M. Flusche
Della M. Flusche*
Affiliation:
Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan
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Extract

Within a framework of overlapping jurisdictions and responsibilities, the city councils (cabildos) were one of the institutions which performed various functions to protect and further public health in the Spanish American Indies. The seventeenth century records of the cabildo in Santiago, Chile, reveal that the councilmen (capitulares) not only conformed to royal law and custom but also employed the scientific knowledge available to them as they struggled against sickness and disease. Their public-spirited endeavors did not, however, preclude the occasional intrusion of selfish motives into the council proceedings. These several characteristics are discernible in the records pertaining to the prevention and control of disease, registry and review of credentials belonging to members of the medical profession, contracts negotiated with physicians, steps to inhibit malpractice, and surveillance of the local apothecary shops and the municipal hospital.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Americas , Volume 29 , Issue 2 , October 1972 , pp. 173 - 190
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 1972

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References

1 The Actas del cabildo de Santiago are published in Colección de historiadores de Chile y documentos relativos a la historia nacional, ed. Medina, José Toribio, et al (51 vols., Santiago, 1861-1953), abbreviated, Actas.Google Scholar

2 Examples are Actas, XXIV, 181, 183, 202–203, 209-210, 277–279, 283, 285, 413; 1610 (July 9, 23, Oct. 15), 1611 (Jan. 5, Sept. 13, 16, 23, 30), 1613 (April 26), XXX, 265–266, 284; 1631 (June 20, Oct. 3), XXXIV, 335–336; 1653 (May 6). Compare with Bayle, Constantino S. J., Los Cabildos seculares en la América Española (Madrid, 1952), 791–792.Google Scholar Villalobos, Néstor Meza studies the oligarchy in La Conciencia política chilena durante la monarquía (Santiago, 1958).Google Scholar

3 See the sessions in n. 2 above and Actas, XXIV, 220, 249-250; 1611 (Jan. 24, May 2), XXV, 5-7, 10, 56-57, 125-126, 130; 1614 (Jan. 3, 10, Sept. 12), 1616 (Jan. 25, March 22), XXVIII, 279, 432; 1625 (June 27), 1627 (May 7), XXX, 11-13, 308; 1628 (April 4, 28), 1631 (Dec. 5), XXXIII, 7, 14, 36; 1645 (Feb. 10, March 2, 27). Pertinent royal legislation is compiled in Recopilación de leyes de los reynos de las Indias (4 vols., Madrid, 1681), book VI, tít. I, laws 36, 38, and tít. XVI, law 63; the code is abbreviated, RLRI.

4 Laws on composición are RLRI, book IV, tít. VIII, law 12; book VIII, tít. XXX, law 11. Regarding the auto and its text see Actas, XXXI, 84-87, 109; 1635 (March 6, 8, 11, June 8). Earlier the council licensed the free black, Luis Pérez, as a shopkeeper but denied a license to the free black woman, María de Quiñones; see XXX, 130, 294; 1629 (Oct. 26), 1631 (Oct. 31).

5 Records concerning the sale are Actas, XXXVI, 265-328; 1664 (March 21). See also Alemparte, Julio, El Cabildo en Chile colonial (2nd ed., Santiago, 1966), 58–61, 124-131Google Scholar. The councilmen designated both peninsulares and créoles as Spaniards.

6 Actas, XL, 195; 1678 (Feb. 5), XLI, 315; 1684 (Dec. 1), XLII, 13, 27, 30, 197-198, 353; 1685 (Jan. 26, March 3, 27), 1687 (March 22), 1690 (Oct. 27), XLIII, 59, 148; 1693 (Feb. 10), 1694 (March 9). Bibar, Gerónimo, Crónica y relación copiosa y verdadera de los reynos de Chile, transcribed Leonard, Irving A. (2 vols., Santiago, 1966), II, 132–133 Google Scholar, mentions the palm trees; on the chronicler see Gagliano, Joseph A., “The Identíty of Gerónimo de Vivar,” The Newberry Library Bulletin, 6 (March, 1964), 103–107.Google Scholar

7 A thorough analysis of the Indian question during the Hapsburg era is Korth, Eugene H. S. J., Spanish Policy in Colonial Chile: The Struggle for Social Justice, 1535-1700 (Stanford, 1968)Google Scholar; Mellafe, Rolando, La Introducción de la esclavitud negra en Chile: Tráfico y rutas (Santiago, 1959)Google Scholar, has information on the role of blacks in the colony.

8 Actas, XXV, 161; 1616 (Oct. 31), XXXI, 257-259; 1637 (July 17, Aug. 7), XXXIII, 14, 142, 428; 1645 (March 7), 1646 (Nov. 16), 1649 (Oct. 15), XXXIV, 279-280, 337-338; 1652 (Nov. 22), 1653 (May 23), XXXVI, 200; 1663 (Nov. 9), XLII, 349; 1690 (Sept. 18), XLIII, 149-150; 1694 (March 16, 23). Moore, John Preston, The Cabildo in Peru under the Hapsburgs: A Study in the Origins and Powers of the Town Council in the Viceroyalty of Peru, 1530-1700 (Durham, N. C., 1954), 190.Google Scholar Pike, Frederick B., “Public Work and Social Welfare in Colonial Spanish American Towns,” The Americas, 13 (April, 1957), 364 CrossRefGoogle Scholar, abbreviated as T Am.; Bayle, op. cit., pp. 565–566.

9 Actas, XXIV, 297-298; 1612 (Jan. 2), XXVIII, 8; 1622 (Jan. 28), XXXVIII, 73-74; 1670 (Sept. 16), XLII, 216, 418-419; 1687 (Aug. 8), 1691 (Oct. 12); compare with Bayle, op. cit., pp. 571-572.

10 Actas, XXV, 517; 1621 (Oct. 29), XXVIII, 8, 84, 377; 1622 (Jan. 28, Oct. 27), 1626 (June 19), XL, 76; 1676 (Nov. 27), XLIII, 125; 1693 (Dec. 14). On legal and illegal trade through Buenos Aires see Haring, C. H., The Spanish Empire in America (New York, 1947), 96–97, 329–330.Google Scholar

11 RLRI, book I, tít. XXII, law 33; book V, tít. VI, laws 1-6.

12 Actas, XXIV, 329; 1612 (June 8), XXV, 115-116; 1615 (Nov. 13); Bayle, 560-561; Laval, Enrique, Noticias sobre los médicos en Chile en los siglos XVI, XV11 y XVIII (“Biblioteca de historia de la medicina en Chile,” III, Santiago, 1958), 32–33;Google Scholar abbreviated Médicos.

13 Actas, XLII, 427-430; 1691 (Dec. 21).

14 Examples are Actas, XLIII, 360-363, 391-393; 1696 (Feb. 17, June 20).

15 Actas, XLII, 410; 1691 (Sept. 7), XLIII, 366-369; 1696 (March 2); see also XXXI, 55; 1634 (Nov. 17), XLIV, 208; 1698 (Nov. 22).

16 Pike, T Am, XIII, 363-364; Moore, 186-190; Bayle, op. cit., pp. 552–568.

17 Actas, XXIV, 329; 1612 (June 8), XXV, 124-125; 1616 (Jan. 15), XXXIII, 13; 1645 (March 2). The escribano's description of the earthquake damage is XXXIII, 188-193; 1647 (undated entry and June 14).

18 The epidemic and the contract discussion is Actas, XXXIII, 256, 304, 309-310; 1648 (Jan. 10, Sept. 18, Oct. 23); see also Laval, Médicos, 43, 51. Eyzaguirre, Jaime, Historia de Chile: Genesis de la nacionalidad (Santiago, 1965), 150–160 Google Scholar, gives a useful survey of the Araucanian war and the army in Chile. The procurator (procurador), a nonvoting cabildo member, could raise topics for discussion and present council petitions to the audiencia.

19 Actas, XXXIV, 224, 394, 448, 452, 463 , 467, 471-474; 1652 (Feb. 27), 1654 (Jan. 13, May 8, 22, June 1, 27, July 23, Aug. 12, 14); XXXV, 10, 37, 43, 123-125, 129-130, 152, 184; 1655 (Feb. 5, April 20, May 14, Oct. 25, Nov. 5, 19, 21), 1656 (Jan. 21, May 19).

20 Actas, XXXVII, 252-255; 1668 (April 27), XXXVIII, 75-77, 83; 1670 (Oct. 10, Nov. 4), XL, 187-188, 428; 1678 (Jan. 21, 28), 1680 (Nov. 22); Laval, Médicos, 41, says Carneaceda practiced until 1689. The cabildos abiertos in Santiago were attended only by invited individuals; they were not open town meetings; see Alemparte, 68.

21 Actas, XLII, 355, 368, 394, 427-430; 1690 (Nov. 9), 1691 (Jan. 26, April 27, Dec. 21), XLIII, 76, 106-107, 123-124, 143, 147-148, 162-163; 1693 (April 3, Aug. 7, Dec. 11), 1694 (Feb. 26, March 9, May 4, 21). References to the balanza are XXV, 344-345; 1619 (Aug. 30), XXXIII, 302-303; 1648 (Sept. 18), XXXIV, 83; 1651 (Jan. 11). de Solórzano Pereira, Juan, Política Indiana (5 vols., Madrid, 1930), V, 58–60 Google Scholar, includes a discussion of the tax by the eighteenth century commentator, Francisco Ramiro de Valenzuela; see also de Ayala, Manuel Josef, Diccionario de gobierno y legislación de Indias, Vols. 4 and VIII of Colección de documentos inéditos para la historia de Ibero-América Google Scholar, ed., Rafael Altamira y Crevea (14 vols., Madrid, 1927-1932), VIII, 151-152.

22 Actas, XLIII, 248, 254–255, 268, 280, 360–363, 380, 383, 386–394; 1695 (April 22, May 6, June 17, July 30), 1696 (Feb. 17, May 11, June 1, 20, 25).

23 Actas, XXXV, 208–209; 1656 (Sept. 2), XLII, 418-419; 1691 (Oct. 12). The latter case occurred while the council awaited Ávalos' arrival. Laval in Médicos, 44–45, and Historia del hospital San Juan de Dios de Santiago (“Biblioteca de historia de la medicina en Chile,” I, Santiago, 1949), 55–56, 110, discusses Omepezoa. The latter work is abbreviated, Historia hospital.

24 Actas, XXXV, 432–433, 473–474; 1659 (Jan. 18, July 11, Aug. 8); Laval, Médicos, 52; on the Franco-Spanish peace see Elliott, J. H., Imperial Spain, 1469-1716 (New York, 1966), 351–352.Google Scholar

25 Actas, XXV, 332; 1619 (April 12), XXXIV, 464; 1654 (June 1).

26 Actas, XL, 422–426, 428; 1680 (Oct. 19, Nov. 22, Dec. 6), XLI, 22–23, 80–92; 1681 (Feb. 15, Nov. 30), XLII, 410; 1691 (Sept. 7). Fines were levied in each review of credentials during the century.

27 Actas, XXVIII, 182, 299; 1624 (March 20), 1625 (Aug. 29), XXX, 149; 1630 (Jan. 11), XXXII, 371–372, 385; 1644 (July 8, Sept. 30), XXXIII, 6, 103; 1645 (Jan. 27), 1646 (May 4), XXXIV, 459; 1654 (May 30), XXXV, 10; 1655 (Jan. 29), XXXVI, 10–11, 2324; 1660 (Jan. 28, March 16), XLIII, 359; 1696 (Feb. 10); Laval, Botica de los Jesuítas de Santiago (“Biblioteca de historia de la medicina en Chile,” II, Santiago, 1953), 3–9, 24–29, is useful; see also Pike, T Am, XIII, 364; Bayle, op. cit., pp. 494-495.

28 Actas, XX, 93–96; 1587 (April 20), XXIV, 145; 1609 (Oct. 9), XLII, 224; 1687 (Sept. 12). RLRI, book I, tít. II, law 22, tít. IV, law 1–21. Pike, T Am, ΧΙΠ, 362–363. Laval, , Historia hospital, 1–58 Google Scholar; the latter's, Regimen legal de los hospitales durante la colonia (“Publicaciones de la Asociación Chilena de Asistencia Social,” XXIX, Santiago, 1935), surveys and compiles both civil and eccelsiastical legislation. See also Bayle, op. cit., pp. 568–571, 598–600.

29 Actas, XXIV, 319–323; 1612 (May 18).

30 lbid., and 332; 1612 (June 14), XXV, 48-49; 1614 (Aug. 21). Governor Alonso de Sotomayor had entrusted the council with supervising audits in 1583, see XIX, 143–144; 1583 (Oct. 26). Laval, Médicos, 43, says Fonseca was a Jesuit who was secularized after his arrival in Chile.

31 Actas, XXIV, 329, 331–332, 396; 1612 (June 8, 14, 22), 1613 (March 12), XXV, 17–19, 41, 84–85, 128, 130; 1614 (Feb. 14, 17, July 11), 1615 (Jan. 24), 1616 (Feb. 12, 23, March 8).

32 Actas, XXV, 196–204; 1617 (April 17–18).

33 Ibid., and 241, 257; 1618 (Feb. 9, June 1), XXXIV, 445–446; 1654 (April 27, May 2).

34 Actas, XXV, 459; 1621 (Feb. 12), XXX, 409; 1633 (March 15), XXXI, 165; 1636 (Feb. 26), XXXIV, 190; 1651 (Oct. 27).

35 Actas, XXXIV, 206; 1652 (Jan. 19), XLII, 203–204, 224; 1687 (May 2, Sept. 12). See RLRI, book I, tít. IV, laws 5–6; tít. XIV, law 24, for legislation concerning the Brothers of San Juan.

36 This case study on Santiago thus supports Pike, T Am, XIII, 361–364, who stresses the cooperation between the Church and various cabildos. In his longer view, the Spanish American councilmen emerge as more public-spirited and less selfishly motivated than the Chileans in the seventeenth century.