José Eleuterio González
Encyclopedia
Jose Eleuterio Gonzalez Mendoza was born on the 20th of February 1813 in the city of Guadalajara
, Jalisco
, Mexico
. His father was Matías Gonzalez, an officer of the Royalist Army and his mother was Josefa Mendoza de Gonzalez When Gonzalez Mendoza was 5 years old his father was killed in the Mexican Independence War. He was sent to live with one of his maternal uncles who agreed to educate him until his 12th birthday. When he turned 12 he was enrolled in the local seminar
where he was taught etymology
, literature
, theology
and philosophy
. After five years in the seminar he decided to enroll in the Medical School of Guadalajara. It was there where he would have his first encounter with the medical profession while working as a teacher assistant at the San Juan de Dios hospital. While working at the hospital he met Friar
Gabriel Maria Jimenéz who was from Monterrey
, Nuevo Leon
. Gonzalez Mendoza treated Jimenez during a little more than a year for Jimenez was sick with tuberculosis. During this time they became close friends and when Jimenez needed to go to San Luis Potosí
for additional treatment he asked Gonzalez Mendoza to come with him. Jimenez promised him a position in a hospital in San Luis Potosí that was run by his order. Since Gonzalez uncle had died recently and his finances were in poor shape he decided to take on Jimenez offer.
He arrived in San Luis Potosí on the 7th of October 1830 and he found a job as second practitioner at the local hospital. He was assigned as an apprentice to Dr. Pablo Caudriello and Dr. Pascual Aranda. After some years the health of his friend Jimenez started to worsen and he agreed to accompany him to Monterrey
so he could spend some time with his family,
He arrived in Monterrey the 12th of November 1833 and found a job as first practitioner on the Hospital del Rosario which was the only hospital in the city. This hospital was maintained by the local bishop
Belaunzarán. The bishop was impressed by the devotion of the doctor towards the friar and named him interim director of the hospital when the current director had to leave the city. However this position was beyond his training and thus it forced him to learn without having an appropriate teacher.
On the 1st of April 1835 he started the pharmacology
class due to the lack of trained pharmacists in the city. This lessons are considered the first medical education taught in the state of Nuevo Leon The first class consisted of only 4 students who took their lessons in the hospital's pharmacy. After a couple of years Gonzalez Mendoza graduated them out of his own accord for there was no formal medical school or university in the city.
On January the 6th of 1836 Gonzalez Mendoza got married with Carmen Arredondo. She was the daughter of General Joaquin Arredondo. Arredondo was military chief of the oriental internal provinces during the independence war. The marriage only lasted 6 years and they had no children. After the divorce, Gonzalez Mendoza became absorbed in his work..
On march the 8th of 1842, he finally obtained his medical degree after passing the exam given by the sanitary commission. One month after having attained his title he founded the Curso de Ciencias Médicas using the study program used by the Escuela de Medicina de Mexico. Four out of his first five students finished their medical education in other institutions elsewhere in Mexico The fifth student, Blas María Diez finished his under Gonzalez Mendoza and became the first medical graduate of the state of Nuevo Leon.
In 1851 he was elected president of the local sanitary commission Two years later Gonzalez Mendoza started an obstetrics
course that was open to men and women alike. In 1859 he helped found the Colegio Civil (predecessor to the UANL, the first public university
in the region and was named head of the Medical School. He also founded the Hospital Civil which served the poor and was the primary practice place for the medical school.
During the first year of the medical school classes were held in a room of what used to be the bishop's house, which was seized by the government during the Guerra de Reforma. The faculty consisted of 6 teachers who were responsible for 15 students. During 1865 and 1866 the school had to close due to the presence of the French army in the city. During this time classes were held clandestinely in the teachers private homes.
During the occupation by the French army, Gonzalez Mendoza met Count Liverman, an Austrian physician who was impressed by his efforts to maintain the medical school. The Count nominated him to the Order of Guadalupe, one of the Mexican Imperial Orders
and Emperor Maximilian accepted to present Gonzalez Mendoza the award, however he declined the honor..
When Monterrey was retaken by the republican army under the command of general Mariano Escobedo
the school was allowed to resume normal classes. Gonzalez Mendoza was in good standing with the republican army after having delivered President Benito Juarez
son while he was visiting Monterrey. Because of this presidential connection he was proposed as Governor. He was elected on various occasions including once as an interim.
In his later days Gonzalez Mendoza was almost blind because of complications after a cataract
surgery. He was also diagnosed with a non specified hepatic affection in 1883. He continued his supervision of the hospital and medical school assisted by other teachers. He died on the 4th of April 1888 and was buried in the chapel within the Civil Hospital. His mortal remains have twice been moved. Currently he is buried in the grounds of the medical school of the autonomous university of Nuevo Leon where a monument was built in his honor..
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
, Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. His father was Matías Gonzalez, an officer of the Royalist Army and his mother was Josefa Mendoza de Gonzalez When Gonzalez Mendoza was 5 years old his father was killed in the Mexican Independence War. He was sent to live with one of his maternal uncles who agreed to educate him until his 12th birthday. When he turned 12 he was enrolled in the local seminar
Seminar
Seminar is, generally, a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subject, in which everyone present is...
where he was taught etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
, literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. After five years in the seminar he decided to enroll in the Medical School of Guadalajara. It was there where he would have his first encounter with the medical profession while working as a teacher assistant at the San Juan de Dios hospital. While working at the hospital he met Friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
Gabriel Maria Jimenéz who was from Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, Nuevo Leon
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
. Gonzalez Mendoza treated Jimenez during a little more than a year for Jimenez was sick with tuberculosis. During this time they became close friends and when Jimenez needed to go to San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....
for additional treatment he asked Gonzalez Mendoza to come with him. Jimenez promised him a position in a hospital in San Luis Potosí that was run by his order. Since Gonzalez uncle had died recently and his finances were in poor shape he decided to take on Jimenez offer.
He arrived in San Luis Potosí on the 7th of October 1830 and he found a job as second practitioner at the local hospital. He was assigned as an apprentice to Dr. Pablo Caudriello and Dr. Pascual Aranda. After some years the health of his friend Jimenez started to worsen and he agreed to accompany him to Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
so he could spend some time with his family,
He arrived in Monterrey the 12th of November 1833 and found a job as first practitioner on the Hospital del Rosario which was the only hospital in the city. This hospital was maintained by the local bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Belaunzarán. The bishop was impressed by the devotion of the doctor towards the friar and named him interim director of the hospital when the current director had to leave the city. However this position was beyond his training and thus it forced him to learn without having an appropriate teacher.
On the 1st of April 1835 he started the pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
class due to the lack of trained pharmacists in the city. This lessons are considered the first medical education taught in the state of Nuevo Leon The first class consisted of only 4 students who took their lessons in the hospital's pharmacy. After a couple of years Gonzalez Mendoza graduated them out of his own accord for there was no formal medical school or university in the city.
On January the 6th of 1836 Gonzalez Mendoza got married with Carmen Arredondo. She was the daughter of General Joaquin Arredondo. Arredondo was military chief of the oriental internal provinces during the independence war. The marriage only lasted 6 years and they had no children. After the divorce, Gonzalez Mendoza became absorbed in his work..
On march the 8th of 1842, he finally obtained his medical degree after passing the exam given by the sanitary commission. One month after having attained his title he founded the Curso de Ciencias Médicas using the study program used by the Escuela de Medicina de Mexico. Four out of his first five students finished their medical education in other institutions elsewhere in Mexico The fifth student, Blas María Diez finished his under Gonzalez Mendoza and became the first medical graduate of the state of Nuevo Leon.
In 1851 he was elected president of the local sanitary commission Two years later Gonzalez Mendoza started an obstetrics
Obstetrics
Obstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
course that was open to men and women alike. In 1859 he helped found the Colegio Civil (predecessor to the UANL, the first public university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in the region and was named head of the Medical School. He also founded the Hospital Civil which served the poor and was the primary practice place for the medical school.
During the first year of the medical school classes were held in a room of what used to be the bishop's house, which was seized by the government during the Guerra de Reforma. The faculty consisted of 6 teachers who were responsible for 15 students. During 1865 and 1866 the school had to close due to the presence of the French army in the city. During this time classes were held clandestinely in the teachers private homes.
During the occupation by the French army, Gonzalez Mendoza met Count Liverman, an Austrian physician who was impressed by his efforts to maintain the medical school. The Count nominated him to the Order of Guadalupe, one of the Mexican Imperial Orders
Mexican Imperial Orders
There were three Imperial Orders of the Mexican Empire were created to reward those subjects loyal to the Monarchy during the two periods of the Mexican Empire. Those were the Order of Guadalupe, the Order of the Mexican Eagle and the Order of Saint Charles.All three were abolished after the fall...
and Emperor Maximilian accepted to present Gonzalez Mendoza the award, however he declined the honor..
When Monterrey was retaken by the republican army under the command of general Mariano Escobedo
Mariano Escobedo
Mariano Escobedo was a Mexican Army general and former Governor of Nuevo León.He was born on January 16, 1826 in Galeana, Nuevo León. He fought during the Mexican American War in the army with the rank of lieutenant...
the school was allowed to resume normal classes. Gonzalez Mendoza was in good standing with the republican army after having delivered President Benito Juarez
Benito Juárez
Benito Juárez born Benito Pablo Juárez García, was a Mexican lawyer and politician of Zapotec origin from Oaxaca who served five terms as president of Mexico: 1858–1861 as interim, 1861–1865, 1865–1867, 1867–1871 and 1871–1872...
son while he was visiting Monterrey. Because of this presidential connection he was proposed as Governor. He was elected on various occasions including once as an interim.
In his later days Gonzalez Mendoza was almost blind because of complications after a cataract
Cataract
A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light...
surgery. He was also diagnosed with a non specified hepatic affection in 1883. He continued his supervision of the hospital and medical school assisted by other teachers. He died on the 4th of April 1888 and was buried in the chapel within the Civil Hospital. His mortal remains have twice been moved. Currently he is buried in the grounds of the medical school of the autonomous university of Nuevo Leon where a monument was built in his honor..