As I said in the last post, I decided to take a look at the Museum of Mexican Medicine which is located in the former Palace of the Inquisition. Admission is free, but this is another one of those places with the ridiculous rule that photography is only allowed with a cellphone. The camera on the relatively inexpensive phone that I have is not that good. Photos taken in natural light come out OK, but indoor shots without flash are hit or miss. As a result, I have a limited number of photos from the museum that are usable. Not that it really matters. The museum was mildly interesting, but it is certainly not a "must-see" attraction.
The architecture of the colonial building, which dates back to 1736, is interesting. Like most buildings of that era in the Hispanic world, it is centered around an open courtyard.
One room of the museum contains replicas of pre-Hispanic artefacts that show those civilizations' knowledge of anatomy and illnesses.
This clay vessel from the Zapotec culture is a fairly accurate depiction of the spinal cord.
This Maya figurine shows a person with a grossly bloated abdomen, which could be a symptom of cirrhosis, dropsy due to heart failure, or malnutrition.
The first medical books in the New World were printed in New Spain, what is now Mexico. This is a replica of a volume that was printed in 1610.
One room is a recreation of a 19th century pharmacy.
Another room is a recreation of a typical doctor's office from the 1920s.
There is a large collection of wax models that were done in the 19th century for diagnosing skin conditions. These were created by a French artist under the direction of Dr. Río de la Loza. (There is an avenue in Mexico City called Doctor Río de la Loza. Now I know who he was.)
Rosacea
It's Scott again. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a supremely morbid museum, as is the Inquisition/Torture museum that is or was located in the same building.
Yeah, I went to the Inquisition Museum a few years ago.
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