Hospice and Asylum of Quito: Its Multiple Uses as a Shelter and a Therapeutic Space (1785–1918)

Abstract

This paper explores the history of psychiatry in Quito through a description and analysis of the diverse functions served by the Hospice and Asylum of Quito, shaped by various social, economic, political, cultural, religious, and medical factors. The study highlights the role and significance of the Sisters of Charity in managing the psychiatric institution and examines two key paradigms that emerged between the late 19th and early 20th centuries: Alienism and Kraepelinianism. Particular attention is given to the observation practices documented in the asylum’s clinical records. The paper also discusses the advent of modern therapeutics in 1944, which led to the replacement of these paradigms and the subsequent deinstitutionalization of patients. Finally, the analysis incorporates a case study informed by concepts from ethnopsychiatry. The main conclusion is that the Quito Hospice and Asylum functioned as a space of ambiguity, where none of its intended roles were fully realized. Instead, it became a convergence point for illness, abandonment, delinquency, social issues, and religious beliefs.