Airs, Waters, and Places in the Early Modern World: The Legacy of Hippocratic–Galenic Approaches to Environment and Climate for Jesuit Missionaries in Northwestern Colonial Mexico

The paper examines the application of Hippocratic and Galenic medical theories among Jesuit missionaries in the northwestern edge of colonial Mexico from the late seventeenth century through the Jesuit expulsion in 1767. By analyzing missionary correspondences and Classical and early modern texts on the relationship between health and the environment, this study reveals how the Society of Jesus frequently employed Classical frameworks to try and understand the connections between identity and landscape in the context of the climatic extremes of the Sonoran Desert and its environs. At these missions, health was not solely a biological concern but was intricately linked to environmental and moral well-being, as dictated by ancient theories that connected humoral balance to the natural world. This research highlights how Jesuits interpreted unusual weather patterns—such as droughts, floods, and other seasonal fluctuations—as signs of imbalance and divine intervention, prompting specific remedial measures that blended early modern European medical practice with local environmental realities. The significance of this study lies in its exploration of the intersections between colonialism, evolving scientific paradigms, and environmental determinism in early modern culture. The continuation of Hippocratic and Galenic principles in mission settings not only reflects the transplantation of European knowledge systems, but also illustrates the adaptive responses to new ecological challenges encountered in the Americas, as well as Indigenous resistance and response to the Spanish Crown’s policies. This intersection of classical science with the lived realities of colonial landscapes underscores the role of climate as a critical factor in shaping both medical approaches and cultural perceptions of health in a missionary context.