Sobre higiene y medicina entre los zapotecas durante la época de la conquista española

Abstract

Hygiene and medicine of the Zapotecs of the pre-colonial period did not differ much from those of other Mesoamerican peoples. At the time of the Spanish Conquest there was a dominant group of specialized healers who, as members of the priesthood, formed part of the elite. They used their secret traditions essentially related to ritual and calendrical knowledge for the curing of sick persons and care of pregnant women. As a result of the colonial politics of subjugation and of the practices and strategies of missionary priests, parts of this medical tradition were lost. But at the same time colonial officials and missionaries collected informations about traditional hygiene and medicine. The old healing practices today are part of the traditional Zapotec medicine which is worth of scholar’s attention.