The epidemic of tertian fever in the old province of Toledo

Abstract

After revising the few contributions to the history of medicine that have been published with regard to the province of Toledo and medical literature on tertian fever in the second half of the eighteenth century, the article concentrates on describing the general situation existing between 1785 and 1787, with the help of the «Historical account ...» of P. Escolano; there follows an examination of the causes of the tertian fever suffered in the province of Toledo and the development of the epidemic during that time, with special reference to the town of Escalona. The incidence is compared by districts, and the consequences of the epidemic scourge. There is also an appendix; listing all the towns in the province of Toledo, with the number of inhabitants, tertian fever sufferers, those who died from the disease and malarial morbidity and mortality.