Da Mereba-ayba à Varíola: isolamento, vacina e intolerância popular em Belém do Pará, 1884 -1904

Abstract

The present work tried to find out how the development of Belem, during the 19th century, caused or intensified the problems that already existed, amidst those ones the public health, especially the smallpox epidemic. In terms of times, was highlighted the end of the 19th century, when was intense the debate about the need to make the city more modern. The project to achieve that target was characterized by the excludents principles of the Science of Higiene. This way, this research focused from the year of 1884 to 1904, which was marked by the three smallpox outbreaks in Belem. The main objective of this work was to show the reasons for the intolerance that people had to the ways to prevent the diseases and the therapeutics practices guided by the government, especially the politic of isolation based on the hygienist speech and, as well, the vaccine. The result of this experience during the 19th century in Belem, was negative, resulting in a repulse of these practices.