Reception of the cell theory at Gaceta Médica de México in the 19th century

In the 18th century, a series of pro-independence movements took place in America against the order established by European dominant powers. This gave way to the concept of “national” and “international or foreign” affairs. In parallel, “the cell theory” emerged in the scientific world, based on the idea that living beings, both plants and animals, were constituted of anatomo-functional units, the cells, where vital functions take place. This theory was headed by the botanist Mathias Jacob Schleiden and zoologist Theodor Schwann. Gaceta Médica de México was founded in 1864, when the cell theory was already mature. The purpose of this manuscript is to document how this theory was received and disseminated in Mexico through articles published in Gaceta Médica de México.