The typhus of the asylums. Local management and social consequences of an hygienic-sanitary catastrophe in Madrid at the Beginning of the 20th Century

Abstract

At the beginning of the twentieth century, unlike in other major European cities, Madrid was still plagued by serious health problems that caused systematic and constant increases in their mortality rates. Despite the fact that since the middle of the previous century there was a growing concern about the epidemics affecting the inhabitants of the city (especially by the hygienists), these continued to emerge in the midst of the poor performances of state and municipal authorities in terms of public health. This paper addresses this issue from a specific case study: the first epidemic of exanthematous typhus occurred in Madrid at the end of April 1903 and extended until 1905. Drawing on a varied documentation that comprises filiation books of the Provincial Hospital of Madrid, death yearbooks and demographic statistics of Madrid City Council, specialized publications of the period and periodical press; this work will analyse the characteristics of the official fight against this disease during its evolution, as well as its repercussions on the social and residential level.