European doctors, symbolism and institutionalization of nineteenth century`s Chilean medicine

Abstract

This paper treats development of scientific Chilean medicine during the first republican years of the country, describing particular cases of foreign doctors influence in this process, join it to domestic political environment during the 1810-1840 period, trying to understand what was the motivation for coming of those transcendental people to the Chilean medicine. Using both biographies and immigrants text, a synthesis is made, including the political situation of their origins countries, their fate in Chile and how they became the influence to lead the Chilean medical changes to get institutionalized during this period.