In 1816, a Royal Decree of Ferdinand VII, created the Medical Corps of Baths, with administrative, clinical and research functions in the most popular Spanish spa resorts. Soon this corps was looked upon as elite within the medical profession (as they had until 1868 a pay from the state and from each swimmer attended), the corporation developed an intense effort to transform the resort practice into a hydrologic science. Although there were contradictory laboratory and clinical expertise, the obligation to file a medical topography of the site led them to develop a self-taught formation in many fields. Pedro Maria Rubio was able to put together all these disparate efforts done over three decades into one interesting paper.