Health Networks in Nineteenth Century Rural Majorca

The history of the developtnent and organisation of health networks is critical to an understanding of the nature of any particular public health systetn. I This paper considers two such networks in rural Majorca during the nineteenth century, within the context of the consolidation of the new public adtninistration in Spain. One network etnerged from local and State political action and was comprised of health professionals, especially physicians and phannacists, who established thetnselves in rural cotnmunities. They had a contractual relationship with local governments, in effect providing health care to everyone including those who lacked financial resources. From the middle of the nineteenth century the developing legal framework formally enveloped these health professionals within local governnlent adnlinistration.