A epidemiologia das doenças infecciosas no início do século XX e a criação da Faculdade de Medicina e Cirurgia do Pará

Abstract

The late nineteenth century showed two important features in the area of health. The first indicated the continuous occurrence of diseases caused by infectious agents that included yellow fever, malaria, cholera and smallpox. On the other hand, the economic situation of the state of Pará with the early loss of exclusivity extractive production of the largest wealth generator for the state, the rubber, has led to a situation where it became increasingly difficult and expensive training new medical doctors abroad or in other Brazilian states. The early twentieth century brought the opening of colleges in Belém, including two in the area of health (Pharmacy and Dentistry), as well as national legislation for the creation and opening of medical courses. The state of Pará, under the influence of the effort of Oswaldo Cruz with his work of eliminating yellow fever in the city of Belém, in a practical application of the new knowledge generated by the description of infectious agents in their transmission by vectors and application of new ways of preventing and controlling diseases (sanitation and vaccines) after organizing at first through a scientific society in innovative ways, creates the 8th medical school in Brazil, on January 9, 1919, named Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of Pará.