Unlike many first books that have a very narrow focus, this prizewinning history monograph (available on the Gutenberg.e open access Web site) is constructed broadly enough to attract readers of various backgrounds and interests. At the outset the author apologizes for subjects not covered. For example, gender, class, and ethnicity are left for future in-depth study. She warns that her colonial periodization is largely unitary, with little exploration of the nature of changes occurring between 1521 and 1808. In spite of the warnings, she covers these and much more.
The author points out that the work “explains the cultures of health and illness that were formed amid the high mortality and morbidity rates during the colonial years of Mexico’s history” (p. xi). The general order is geographical and chronological. In chapter 1 the author focuses on the nature of health and sickness in Mexico, when possible using the words of...
