Imigração e saúde pública: a recepção de imigrantes no Rio de Janeiro (1850-1930)

Abstract

The present thesis aims to understand how the sanitary conditions of the city of Rio de Janeiro, associated with medical-scientific conceptions, influenced the practices of reception and welcoming of immigrants arriving in Brazil between 1850 and 1930. For most of this period, the Port of Rio de Janeiro was the main gateway for immigrants to the country, which required effective actions for the reception, control, and routing of newly arrived foreigners. Simultaneously, the sanitary conditions of the city demanded the adoption of measures to protect the health of immigrants, as constant outbreaks of yellow jack affected them intensely, further exacerbating the epidemic outbreaks that occurred in the country's capital. Thus, with the purpose of controlling immigration flow and health issues resulting from immigration, a system was organized that included the General Inspection of Port Health, the Maritime Hospital of Santa Isabel, and the various lazarettos and hostels that were established until the creation of the Lazaretto of Ilha Grande (1885) and the Hostel of Ilha das Flores (1883). By analyzing the reports of the Ministry of the Empire and the Ministry of Justice, specifically the section related to public health, it is possible to see how medical-scientific knowledge was fundamental in defining the reception locations, as well as in the structure and organization of such institutions.