Midwives, the first women at University in Spain

During the first half of the 19^th century, medical teaching underwent some transcendental changes which ended up with the unification of the studies of Medicine and Surgery, traditionally separate in the past. The Colleges of Surgery in Cadiz, Barcelona and Madrid were closed, although midwives were able to continue training privately, studying and practising for four years, before sitting an exam at university. The profession took a definitive leap to become a university degree with the passing of the Ley de Instrucción Pública (Public Education Act) in 1857, whose Chapter I, titled «The Faculties», lays out regulations for obtaining the title of matron or midwife.

Despite this fact, which was so important for the history of the profession, the truth was that education was still controlled by men, who had no special interest in midwives acquiring high quality knowledge. The fact that in 1861 the profession was linked to that of the new lesser surgeons through the «Reglamento para la enseñanza de Practicantes y Matronas» (Regulation for teaching Practitioners and Midwives), turned these studies into a short, 2-year degree, which was in no way positive. The older surgeons, who had proliferated in excess in the early 19^th century, showed concern and even outright hostility to the creation of the practitioner title and, in passing, to midwives. The profession was on the point of disappearing and would have done so had «La Gloriosa» (The Glorious Revolution) not been declared in 1868. As we saw above, it was the Decree of Freedom of Education issued during the «Democratic Sexenium» that allowed some midwives to take part in the teaching of future colleagues, like the afore-mentioned Pilar Jáuregui Luccu in Dr. Velasco´s Anthropology Museum, or Francisca Iracheta Arguiñarena, who worked in another free school of midwifery opened by her husband, José López de Morelle, in their home (Lope de Vega´s old house).