Enlightened Immunity: Mexico's Experiments with Disease Prevention in the Age of Reason: By Paul Ramirez. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018, Xiv + 358 pp., notes, bibliography, notes, index, 6 maps, 6 figures, and 3 tables, $80.00...

Autor: Fritze, Ronald H.
Zdroj: Terrae Incognitae; Apr2024, Vol. 56 Issue 1, p104-105, 2p
Abstrakt: "Enlightened Immunity: Mexico's Experiments with Disease Prevention in the Age of Reason" by Paul Ramirez is a comprehensive study of public health in colonial Mexico during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The book explores the efforts made by Mexican society to prevent and combat diseases, particularly smallpox epidemics. It highlights the role of religious processions, folk healers, and the dissemination of medical knowledge through periodicals and self-help manuals. The second part of the book focuses on the acceptance and promotion of inoculation and vaccination by the colonial Mexican government, as well as the challenges faced in implementing these practices. The study sheds light on the assimilation of the Native American population, the influence of parish priests, and the incorporation of traditional healing methods into medical literature. Overall, "Enlightened Immunity" provides valuable insights into the history of public health in colonial Mexico. [Extracted from the article]
Databáze: Supplemental Index