Thousands upon thousands of people were perishing needlessly every year for the lack of surgical intervention.

A common procedure in dealing with wounds was to cover them with poultices of chewed tobacco, ashes, and leaves.
In many provinces the people were without medical assistance of any sort, and fell into the hands of native quacks who were little, if at all, better than witch doctors.
The most fantastic views were entertained relative to the causation of disease.

In some towns it was vigorously asserted that after a peculiar looking black dog ran down the street cholera appeared.

In other places cholera was generally ascribed to the poisoning of wells by Spaniards or foreigners.
Cemeteries were not infrequently situated in the very midst of towns, or near the local supplies of drinking water.

Conditions within their walls were often shocking from an aesthetic view point.