During the colonial era, the "Provisional Health Boards" were established with the purpose of controlling epidemics and, above all, monitoring the practice of medicine; they worked well into the 19th century, and due to political instability, they did not prosper. It was not until 1842 that the first Board of Health in the State was created for this purpose, taking the first steps to regulate the medical practice and public health of the entity.

With the arrival of Dr. José Eleuterio González, and noticing that there was a large number of empirical doctors and pharmacists without regulations, with the support of deputy José Sotero Noriega, they proposed to Congress a law for the formation of a regulatory body for the health sector.

On September 19, 1851, the Health Council was created by decree, made up of Governor Agapito García, who would serve as its President, doctors Carlos Ayala, Esteban Tamés, Ignacio Garza García and José Eleuterio González, who was appointed Vice President, position he held until the end of his days.

The functions of the Health Council were the following:

1.  Ensure that no one in the State exercises any branch of medical science without the competent authorization.
2. Examine those who, having the qualities indicated in this law, tried to practice medicine.
3. Form within the first four months of its installation tariffs subject to the approval of Congress, to which doctors and apothecaries will be subject, and determine which pharmacopoeia should govern in the State.
4. Propose to the government the measures it deems appropriate to improve health in the State.
5. Resolve medical-legal and hygienic issues directed by the authorities.
6. Issue licenses to open drugstores in the State.
7. To erect in the Capital, when its funds allow it, chairs of the diverse branches of medical sciences.
8. Visit the drugstores, hospitals and prisons, informing the government of the state in which they are located, and indicating the reforms or improvements that are required for the best public service.
9. Propagate and conserve vaccines.

The first courses in medicine and pharmacy taught by Dr. Gonzalitos, in the mid-nineteenth century, were under the tutelage of the Health Council, until the creation of the School of Medicine (1859), which depended directly on the Civil Association, while the Council was left in charge of matters concerning public health.

It is clear that the creation and consolidation of the teaching hospital, which is now 160 years old, would not have been possible without the platform of the aforementioned Council, which will later give rise to the Ministry of Health.