“Tocados d’aquelle venenoso mal”: as epidemias em Belém na primeira metade dos oitocentos: 1800 - 1850

Abstract

The objective of this research is the analysis and the historical-social relationships of the incidences of epidemics and infectious diseases that impacted the lives of the inhabitants of the city of Belém, the capital of Grão-Pará, during the first half of the 19th century. The relationship between economic and population development, the emergence of smallpox and yellow fever epidemics, and their relationships and implications for the economic and population development of the City of Belém are analyzed. The structure of the dissertation is composed of three chapters. The first chapter makes a brief presentation about a city of Belém and how it was a great stage of mobility, both for goods and people, due to the presence of ports. The second chapter analyzes the medical understanding of epidemics and their lines of interpretation. And the third chapter deals with the statistical measurement of those most affected by the epidemics, seeking to identify the patterns and levels of mortality during the smallpox and yellow fever epidemic attacks, more specifically. The methodology used was documentary research, and the documents were researched and made available in several collections in Belém such as: Public Archives of the State of Pará (APEP), Historical and Geographical Institute of Pará (IHGP) and Central Library of UFPA / collection of rare works and Fran Pacheco Library of the Portuguese Literary and Recreation Association.