José Manuel Valdés and his record of diseases and epidemics in Lima during 1821

Ramos D.M.; Velasquez J.Y.; Reluz C.C.; Valdivia J.P. · Revista Cubana de Medicina Militar (2026)

Resumen

The wars of independence in Peru not only brought death and destruction, but also exacerbated the poor socio-sanitary conditions, allowing the development of a series of diseases and epidemics that slowed military campaigns and worsened the already difficult living conditions of the population. José Manuel Valdés, an Afro-descendant physician, prepared a report on the diseases and epidemics that ravaged Lima in 1821. The examination of this document allows evaluating the socioenvironmental, sanitary, and epidemiological conditions of the city of Lima during that highly complex situation.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola