RESUMO
La incertidumbre y desconfianza que en ocasiones suscitó la presencia y actuación de los médicos diplomados en la ciudad de México durante el gobierno de Porfirio Díaz (1877-1911), condujo a que éstos profesionistas consideraran como esencial fortalecer, vigorizar y crear, hasta donde fuese posible, una imagen respetable, competente y homogénea de su labor profesional. Para ello, recurrieron, recrearon y adaptaron las máximas de ética médica de la cultura médica occidental a su labor profesional, y se abocaron a rescatar del olvido histórico a destacados médicos del convulso siglo diecinueve mexicano. Con ello, como se expondrá en este ensayo, anhelaban responder, reaccionar y neutralizar la incredulidad y la crítica que el público manifestaba en torno a su quehacer y desempeño profesional.
The uncertainty and mistrust towards the presence and activities of academic medical practitioners in Mexico City during the Porfirio Díaz government (1877-1911) convinced these professionals that is was essential to create, strengthen and transmit a respectable, competent and homogeneous image of the profession. To this purpose they recovered, recreated and adapted the ethical maxims of the occidental medical culture to their professional work, and rescued eminent medical figures of Mexico's convulse nineteenth century from being lost in the oblivion of history. Their goal - as it will be expounded in the following pages - was to respond, oppose and neutralize the criticism and disbelief expressed by the public against their professional performance.