Healing the Body and Saving the Soul in the Portuguese Hospitals of the Early Modern Age

Taking care of the body and healing the soul became one of the touchstones of the Portuguese Misericórdias during the Modern Age. Proprietors of the large majority of existing hospitals, these brotherhoods either helped the sick people in their hospitals or sent health professionals to their homes, paying for the medicines or even giving those alms so that they could treat themselves.In this article it will be my purpose to analyse the reform of assistance at the beginning of the Modern Age, as well as to caracterize its consequences in the hospital system. At the same time, I will pay attention to the clientèle of hospitals, diseases, treatments and religious assistance to the interns.In this work I will try to analyse and discuss the Portuguese Misericórdias’ health services thoughtout the Modern Age, either at the Misericórdias’ hospitals and by their provision of home care services.