History of Latin American Dermatology

History of Dermatology in Guatemalasilk breeches. Other papers referred to stories of animals and plants, in relation to therapeutics.Healing therapies were therein described, like the infallible remedy for rabies,which consisted in drinking an ounce of goose dung in white wine. A complete list ofremedies came next: the juice of chiridono removed teeth painlessly in twenty-fourhours; tlanchinoli cured venereal ailments in a few days and deprived the ill of reasonfor the span of twenty-four hours. Genipa made the skin so black, that it was possible tosell whites as blacks. With such wonderful and effective remedies, great success could beexpected of the physician Desplanquez, who unfortunately had to leave the infallible prescriptionswith the court.The imaginary castle collapsed, since the authorities, shame-faced, had to offer theinnocent Desplanquez an apology. In December 1768, the prosecutor Romaña asked forthe French physician’s freedom, Desplanquez being barred from traveling to theprovinces or wandering around the Americas. Once free and untrammeled, Desplanquezparticipated in the struggle against epidemics, providing good prescriptions in that ofmeasles of the year 1769 and that of typhus of the year 1774. When the transfer of thecity began to the valley of the Hermitage, our physician of the horrible face lived for someyears in New Guatemala, from which he disappeared in an unknown manner. Thusended the story of Dr. Desplanquez, a bachelor of repugnant visage, who found fortuneand profit in the city that had previously sentenced him to close imprisonment 32 .THE SCANDAL OF DR. IMERYIn 1795, Dr. Marcos Imeria or Imery, an Irish physician, was jailed on “charges of nolittle seriousness and consequence.” Marcos Imeria lived in San Miguel, and there he wasarrested by order of Commander Domás y Valle. The mayor of that town carried out theorder immediately, and questioned medical professor Imery, who declared he was aCatholic, a native of Ireland, and utterly unaware of the reasons for his imprisonment.He assumed he was the object of “infidelity slander,” invented by one of his patients, avery frequent occurrence in the profession.He was very ill and could not abandon his patients; it was necessary, therefore, togrant him freedom on bail, or else to place him under house arrest.Mayor Becerril requested a medical report, which was issued by physician Juan SantosAntequera, who declared that Imery’s illness was real. In May 1796, Imery was transferredto his house. The news of his imprisonment spread quickly throughout theprovince, being received with general displeasure, since the entire population was undermedical treatment, and ran the risk of loss of life in the absence of the ministrations ofthe eminent Irish professor. City Hall energetically protested Imery’s imprisonment andasked that he not be sent to Guatemala, since his presence was indispensable in the city,where there was nobody to carry out the humble profession of bleeder. The priest GarcíaRamos joined the protests and announced he would follow Imery everywhere, sincehe was suffering from a serious ailment, which had improved markedly thanks to thedoctor’s wonderful care. City Hall considered the case of extremely serious for publichealth. The entire province of San Miguel was infected with venereal disease, whichevolved into malignant forms owing to the climate. Such was the gravity of the disease,that only “sore-ridden men” were to be seen in the streets. Dr. Imery’s house was a realhospital for venereal cases. Misery and death would befall the town if it were left withoutmedical succor. The luetic plague favored Marcos Imery in every sense. It made himfree and wealthy. The sore-ridden neighbors carried the day against the accusing justice;the adverse reports sent to Domás y Valle by the neighbor Lorenzo Moreno – who in anaccusatory statement listed Imery’s failings, an empiricist without a conscience, whocured nobody and exploited everyone – were to no avail. Despite everything, the Irishsurgeon and physician Marcos Imery continued to treat patients with syphilis. The governmentof Guatemala forgot all the circumstances of the trial. Thereafter, Imery,251