Education and medical debate on the origin of yellow fever in Peru in the second half of the 19th century.

Abstract

Throughout the nineteenth century, the origin of diseases was explained based on miasmas, which after staying in the human body, caused diseases. After the appearance of yellow fever in Peru, during the summer of 1852, the medical community began to debate the possible origin of miasmas, and with it of the disease, emerging two medical postulates. One pointed out that the miasmas had arisen spontaneously as a consequence of the environmental constants, the hygienic state, and the social factors; while the other stated that they had been imported by passengers arriving at Peruvian ports from areas where the disease was endemic. This article delves into these aspects.