Police officers and medical doctors during the yellow fever epidemic (Buenos Aires, 1871)

https://doi.org/10.18294/sc.2009.233

Published 4 April 2009 Open Access


Diego Galeano Licenciado en Sociología. Doctorando en Historia Social, Universidad Federal de Río de Janeiro, Brasil. Investigador del Departamento de Planificación y Políticas Públicas, Universidad Nacional de Lanús, Argentina



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Keywords:

Epidemics, Public Health, History of Medicine, Argentina

Abstract


This paper examines the action of medical doctors and policemen during the yellow fever epidemic in Buenos Aires (1871). Even though during the XIX century epidemics were frequent, the yellow fever one constitutes a break, not only because of its scope and material effects on the city, but also because it opened a crisis of hegemonic discourses. In particular, the paper scrutinizes the effects of the yellow fever epidemics on the figures of doctors and policemen, who were redesigned in light of tropes of heroism and sacrifice.