Las áreas de incurables del Hospital de la Sangre de Sevilla

Abstract

El hospital de la Sangre de Sevilla fue creado para atender a mujeres con enfermedades comunes que no padecieran enfermedades contagiosas ni fuesen incurables. Sus diversos reglamentos –1503, 1603, 1624, 1734– prohibieron el acceso de incurables al hospital; sin embargo, la realidad se impuso y los libros capitulares revelaron que este hospital recibió a mujeres y eclesiásticos incurables y de avanzada edad que esperaban un buen morir física y religiosa. Este hospital tenía asilos separados sexualmente en los que se acogían incurables y ancianos, por limosna o previo pago. Se debe remarcar que los incurables no eran agonizantes, sino personas que por diversos motivos no se valían de sí mismas y cuyas enfermedades sin ser contagiosas no tenían curación.

The Blood Hospital of Seville was created to care for women with common diseases who did not suffer contagious or incurable ones. Its various regulations –1503, 1603, 1624, 1734– prohibited the admission of incurable women to the hospital, but reality set in and Hospital records show that it received both the elderly of the Church and women of advanced age. The hospital had asylums separated by sex, and the incurable and elderly were cared for, either through alms or payment. It is necessary to highlight that the incurable patients were not agonizing, but rather were persons who for diverse reasons could not care for themselves, and whose diseases, though not contagious, were incurable.