Treating Spanish Bullfighters

By Philip Curzon in A doctor's life on Friday, May 1, 2009 @ 10:44

Just back from a weekend watching bullfighting in Spain I was interested to visit the infirmary within the Plaza de Toros de Maestranza. It is here that injured bullfighters are taken for immediate triage. Only one bullfighter has died in Spain’s cathedral of bullfighting since opening its gates in 1762.

The facilities are better now then in recent history and plasma is readily available. The most common wounds are gashes to the outside of the thigh and hip; few matadors are caught amidships. The picadors rarely suffer injury although their horses were frequently disemboweled until protective padding was introduced in the 70s.

The riskiest maneouvres are completed by the bandilleros who leap to place barbs in the bull’s neck but these men are so gymnastic that they rarely become casualties. Occasionally a matador loses his footing and is gored on the floor but his cuadrillo quickly appear to distract the bull; the most common victims of the bull are the alcohol fueled amateurs who leap into the ring.

Next to the infirmary is the chapel where the matadors pray before entering the ring and where the last rites are administered.