Nogales international., 1937-11-27
MEXICO BOASTS
FIRST HOSPITAL
IN NEW WORLD
Spital City Institution
Built by Cortez
Probably in 1924

WASHINGTON Nov. 26-OP) -
&gE- Edgar Erskin Hume, medical
aExEhority of the U. S. Army, has
1reES0gnized the Jesus Hospital, in
NEEziro City, Mexico, as the first
Mzzpital to be established in the
New World.
This venerable institution, at
least Alb years old, was visited oy
EaEane during his trip to Mexico as
United States delegate to the flrSt
@Eanyention of Mexican Military
Hzysicians last year. His ooser-
valions and historical account OF
Nsse hospital have just been pub
1TEneG in the current issue OF THE
MILITARY Surgeon, and other med1-
cal publications.
Hume, who was formerly librar-
7avs of the Army Medical Museum
N,gre, reported that the Jesus HOS
xss@al as seen today is a beautltW
qsHa building in the Spanish Colo
naal style, with few modern ad-
&FFtlons in complete harmony with
Ene ancient structure.
Open to the Poor
1.-The Jesus Hospital now, as IN
nhe beginning. devotes its efforts
TN the care of persons OF both sexes
vs,eeding medical or surgical treat
rxaent for Which they are unable TO
uvay - he said. 1.-The equip
xment found within the venerable
walls is modern and only the sur
Eu1ndings give the story OF the
zreat age of this fine old hospital.
Hume invited the attention OF
Knuspital administrators to the an
elent Mexican institution, constant
EB in use from the days of Cortez
GOWN to the present time.
When fernando Cortez burned
Faas ships in the harbor of Vera
Cruz, the oldest town in North
@xnerica, which he himself had
f1sunGed, he made the Jesus Hos
Esatal necessary" Hume said.
--It was on March 4, 1919, that
IKE landed his handful of soldiers
ON the Mexican coast. These in
Srepid conquistadores advanced, as
sEEery schoolboy knows, against the
E6ighly civilized Aztecs and other
Mexican nations, and by a COM
Ea7nation of extreme bravery, mag
zzIficent leadership anG the super
S4ituous fears of the natives who
1nought the Spaniards gods mount
ed to strange beasts and armed
with laundering artillery, became
masters of the Mexican empire of
HAonteZuma.
Erected On Historic Spot
The Spanish conquest of Mexico
proceeded and was successful, and
Cortez ordered the erection of the
Jesus Hospital "as fitting manner
gd showing his gratitude of God.
1t was erected on the spot where
Cortez first met the Aztec Emperor,
BEontezuma
"It has sometimes been said
Ehat Cortez desired to free his soul
From his sins of cruelty ans
=Evarice, by the establishment of
This hospital" Hume said, "the
same charge being made against
Pedro de Valdivia, the conqueror
at Chile, who founded the Hos
wsital de Socorro in 1856. But we
xaust at all times view Cortez and
Ghe less gifteGs other of. his ilk in
ane light of the. times in which
they flourished.
The records through the years
a1ye succession of pictures of the
hospitals care of patients, Hume
said, adding that the work of the
institution has been continuous and
mas met the tests of modern con-
,Eepts of hospital managementS.
Name Taken From Image
The institution originally was
KNOWN as El Hospital de la Puri-
Sama Conception, but later became
known as Hospital de Jesus, dat
Eng from 1901, when a rich InCian
vEDman, Dona Petronila Geronimo,
PRESENTED the hospital chapel with
sEn image of Jesus of Nazareth.
1.-THE precise date of the build
ing is uncertain Hume said Don
LUCAS Alaman, historian, says that
E1ae church of San Francisco which
was the first edifice erected in the
City of Mexico was followed i'm
znediate1y by the church of the
hospital of Jesus in the year 1924.
This. indeed, seems the year of con-
=struction of the building, for a
legal document Of Aug. 26, 1924, re
Hers to the site of the present hos
aGztal. Yet others records of the
AserioG refer to the Sacrament being
administered to persons dying in
saf2e hospital"