He was born in Buenos Aires in 1849, son of colonel Matías Ramos Mejía and Francisca Madero.

He kept working at the University of Buenos Aires, and headed the newly created professorship of nerve pathology in 1887.

He made further studies of nerve and mental pathology, being considered later as one of the first researchers of psychiatry in Argentina.

His first book, "Neurosis de los hombres célebres en la historia argentina" (Spanish: Neurosis of noteworthy men in the history of Argentina) was started during his studies, and published in 1887.

He included phrenologist analysis of historical peoples, as part of a new wave of positivist historians that sought to combine history with science.