The Cholera Epidemic in Madeira (1856): From the Royal Policies to Local Practices

Abstract

Throughout the 19th century, cholera, yellow fever, tuberculosis, the bubonic plague, and typhus swept across Europe and caused the death of multitudes of people. It will therefore not be unreasonable to associate this century with the occurrence of various epidemic diseases, the spread of which was facilitated by the development of means of transport, which in turn facilitated the movement of people and goods.
Based on the premise that health and assistance were matters assumed by the Portuguese crown, especially beginning with the reign of King Manuel I, this essay focuses mainly on the measures taken by the political power in the archipelago of Madeira to control and combat the cholera morbus epidemic of 1856, particularly those implemented by the civil governor of the Funchal district at that time, António Rogério Gromicho Couceiro.

Keywords

Epidemic; Cholera; António Rogério Gromicho Couceiro; Civil Governor; Madeira.