Historical review of Mexican blood transfusion.

President Dr. Hill; Medical Authorities of Dallas, Texas; Dear Doctors; Ladies and Gentlemen.’ This conference takes place in affiliation with the Second Mexican Blood Transfusion Congress. Now allow me to state briefly the outstanding points of Mexican Medical History. Mexico is a name which, in the minds of many persons, has had connotations quite different from reality. For some people it appears to be exotic, for others it is romantic, and for yet others it is an odd country. What I want to say briefly is that the first inhabitants of Mexico, the Aztecs, Mixtecas, Toltecas, Otomies, Chichimecas and Mayas practiced medicine according to their times, and the Goddess Tzapotlaltenan presided over general medicine. Blood was named ‘ ‘eztli.” They noticed the circulation of blood by the beating at the end of the heart called ‘ ‘tetecuicaliztli’ ‘ and by the radial beating to which they attached the name ‘ ‘ tlahuatl y tetecuicoca. ‘ ‘ However, for them, medicine was considered a trade. Training was given as that of a trade and knowledge was handed down from father to son, with the fathers teaching their sons the correct names of the diseases and how to cure them by means of herbs. Surgical instruments were kept and used in suitable cases. Ancient Mexicans obtained their medicines from the three kingdoms of nature: animal, mineral, and vegetable. Of the three kingdoms, the vegetable kingdom was the one to which they paid the most attention, and the one which they came to know best. Taking advantage of their knowledge has made it easier to study the several species of plants, forming groups to be used according to modern therapeutics. As you well know, Christopher Columbus discovered the American continent on the twelfth of October 1492.. Later, in the year i 19, Hernando Cortes arrived in the city ofMexico. From that date to September 18L1, when Mexican independence was consummated, Mexican soil was a Spanish colony. There are four transcendental facts related to that period of time which are necessary to point out. Mexico was vested with the privilege to possess, before any other country on the American continent, the first hospital, the first printing press, the first university,* and the first book of medicine. The first hospital on the American continent was founded in 152.4. It was given the name “Hospital de la Limpia Concepci#{243}n’ ‘ and finally the name ‘ ‘Hospital de Jess’is,’ ‘ a name which it has up to the present time. This hospital has been giving uninterrupted service for a period of 412. years. It is a building of large courtyards and handsome arches, part of which is considered the most ancient construction that the city possesses. On the other hand, the remaining