This historical article reviews the most important milestones in the evolution of human and patient s rights. The latter have derived from human rights and have followed a similar historical evolution, but in markedly different times. This has lead to the persistence of monarchic type, paternalistic clinical relationship forms in republican societies. The acceptance of informed consent and patient s rights has been a democratization of clinical relationships. On the other hand the right to body health management is a real cultural revolution. The democratization of clinical relationship is in agreement with our technical, pluralist and secularized times (Rev Méd Chile 2000; 128: 1374-79).