When I posted the translation of letters 3 and 4 of Princess Stephanie to her fiancé the King of Portugal (you can find them on my Instagram!), I discussed the fact that Stephanie was discussing the Yellow Fever epidemics which afflicted the city of Lisbon in the year of 1857. Throughout the 50s and the 60s, Lisbon endured lots of these, particularly yellow fever and cholera. It is, therefore, very natural for Stephanie to have become aware of this in her letters, and for her and King Pedro to exchange words on the subject; equally interesting is the fact that there is a report available, which tells us a little more about what happened.
Yellow fever, an illness which is spread by mosquito bites, receives its name from the fact that it can cause liver damage – and, therefore, yellow skin. On the 29th September 1857, the government deemed it necessary to create an extraordinary health council to solve the epidemics – “to occur to the demands of the sanitary service [words from original text] which the circumstances claimed”; and this council performed the “very honourable, and not scarcely difficult commission” which was entrusted to it, as well as taking measures to see if it was possible to prevent a second wave, at least in such a vast scale.
King Pedro, Stephanie’s fiancé, received this committee at least in two occasions: on the 29th December 1857, and on the 7th January 1858. Stephanie’s letters from prior to the January meeting seem to indicate the epidemics had improved by this time. By the end of it, a report was made in which the council attempted to explain the «origins, means of propagation, nature, march and termination» of the illness, the results of the measures taken; and it ends by stating, in an eerie tone that seems to show the great difficulties and suffering:
«May God permit that Portugal never again has the occasion of feeling the renewal of scenes of so much grief and mourning.»
First part of the Report
In the first moment of the Report, the committee begins by speaking of the characteristics within Portuguese territory, which may make it more or less prone to disease. They state that the climate makes Portugal one of the healthiest countries in Europe, and that a great deal of disease epidemics may be avoided, or at least diminished, if the Portuguese were more careful in «agriculture, management of river courses, cleaning inhabited areas, and observing the rules of good hygiene». Auch. I promise we’re very clean nowadays.
Nevertheless, regardless of these unfortunate characteristics (namely, lack of care), Portugal seems to have been particularly blessed in terms of maladies, according to the committee. The report proceeds by explaining the major maladies and how they affected the country:
- Cholera: the world suffered from Cholera, and Portugal with it, but unlike the rest of the world, it only had two major widespread episodes, twenty years apart.
- Typhus: brought to Portugal by wars, enemy invasions, army settlements, and war-related calamities. The 19th century was a period of unrest. First, through the Napoleonic Wars: Portugal was invaded three times, by Soult, Junot and Massena, and people saw the royal family flee to Brazil last-minute (Portugal had sided with England in the conflict). Then, in the 1820s and into the 1830s, there was a civil war between King Pedro’s grandfather (Pedro IV of Portugal) and his great-uncle (Miguel I); then, several civil unrests during the reign of his mother, Maria II.
- The bubonic plague: it affected Portugal just as much as the rest of Europe, especially during the 16th century; the 17th century saw a single major case in 1679. It then seems to disappear and not reappear for nearly two centuries.
- Yellow fever: there were cases in 1723 (when it first reaches Europe, according to the report); it also affected Europe in 1731 (Cadiz, Gibraltar, Seville, Malaga, Barcelona, Leorne, and overall meridional regions). In 1845 and 1846, it affected Cape Verde, which was part of the Portuguese territories in this period – it is not unlikely that it was brought to the continent through there, seeing as Lisbon was a major harbour. In the 17th century, it affected Pernambuco, Brazil (1686), but did not reach Portugal.
Lisbon and O’Porto seem to have enjoyed a particular immunity (their word), regarding the american typhus, but it could «not be explained by hygienic care, which has been little scrupulous in all of time» (AUCH).
The 1850s epidemics
- In the year of 1849, the epidemics became more widespread in Brazilian harbours. From that moment on, it started to reach Portugal’s European territory (and I say it this way because it had several colonies throughout the world, as did most countries in Europe). At first, it was not particularly violent; however, in the Autumn of 1857 (the year Stephanie and Pedro get engaged), a widespread epidemic phenomenon occurs. Quoting directly from the source, «the shape of the epidemics became pestilent, violent, long-lasting, and it will remain in history as one of the very notable ones of the same nature which developed in Europe».
- The committee considers than in terms of overall mortality, this epidemics was not as violent as the one in 1723 – there were fewer people and the city was smaller, and at that time, 6000 individuals passed away, whereas in 1857, with a larger city and more individuals, it did not reach those numbers, nor the numbers of Spanish Andaluzia.
- They relate this episode to the cases which appeared in several places in Lisbon in 1856 (Belém, Rua da Bica, Rua Larga de S. Roque), as well as in O’Porto in 1850, 1851 and 1851.
- The episode was predated by the epidemics of cholera-morbus – at a certain point, this one coexisted with YelloW Fever in Lisbon.
In O’Porto
- 1850 – The tradeship Duarte IV came from Brazil into the River Douro; 5 Customs Guards fell ill and three died. It was believed to be yellow fever, but it was quickly solved, unexpected, and, according to the committee, there was an interest to hide it or disguise it.
- 1851 – The medical-surgical school of O’Porto showed that temperatures raised to 32º C during the Autumn, and that there was scarce rain between Summer and Autumn. The temperatures oscilated between 29,3′ and 30,16; the winds came from the east and north, and seldom from the south. The right margin of the river, within the city of O’Porto, has poor conditions of salubrity, resulting from its proximity of the river and the great conjunction of homes and individuals (affected neighbourhoods: Miragaia and Massarelos). However, this is found in most cities, and O’Porto can be considered one of the healthiest.
- 1851 still – in August, the galley Tentadora arrived from Rio de Janeiro. Five dead individuals were on board during the travel, but it was received and admitted after a 9-day quarantine. The first cases which appeared were amidst Customs Guards who went inside this ship while on duty. The government greatly disapproved of the irregularities of the admission of this ship. Quarantine for ships in O’Porto was considered a disappointment, and O’Porto had no “lazareto” (a kind of quarantine house or hospital).
- 10th September 1851 – ship Duarte IV enters O’Porto, after a 56 day-long journey from Rio de Janeiro (the same ship which brought the sick individuals in 1850). Several people died on board during the journey. There was a 12 day quarantine, but it was admitted afterwards. Two Customs Guards got sick – they had stayed on board during the quarantine – and died, one after 3 days, the other after 5 days. Three more guards got sick – they had been on board while the ship unloaded. One of them had a severe illness.
- Right afterwards. more individuals went sick, all of them having been in contact with these ships, objects which they carried, or individuals which had travelled within them. The illness arrived the said neighbourhoods with scarce salubrity, Miragaia and Massarelos.
- The natural characteristics of the illness (of which I’ll underline the yellow skin hue) made everyone quickly aware it was yellow fever. Up to the 8th Setember, there was a record of 17 suspected dead – Custom and Tobacco guards, tradesmen, an English innkeeper and his wife, and five more women, one of whom the wife of Tentadora‘s captain. She passed away after 5 days.
- Another ship arriving from Brazil, Santa Cruz, led to similar incidents.
As you see, the first major pole of the disease came through tradeships arrived from Brazil, and it entered firstly through harbours, infecting those in charge of Customs, sailors, ship captains and their families, but also the innkeeper and his wife, who probably had contact with one of the people infected.
We’ll go on through this journey through next post.
Saluete.
The Historian Chronicles 