Carlos Luis Benoit and cholera in the Philippines (1832): analysis of a medical treatise from the social history of knowledge

Abstract

The article analyzes the medical discourse on cholera in the Philippines in 1832 through the treatise of physician Carlos Luis Benoit. At that time, medicine was still debating between the miasmist theory, which attributed the disease to toxic vapors in the environment, and the contagionist theory, which pointed to specific biological agents. Benoit, influenced by miasmism, studied spasmodic morbus cholera in Manila and described its symptoms, causes and treatments, identifying insalubrity, poor nutrition and tropical climatic conditions as risk factors. He proposed treatments based on hydration and the use of narcotics to control symptoms, although his work was not widely accepted by the official medical community. The colonial context and the lack of sanitary infrastructure favored the spread of the disease. Likewise, it shows how the medical discourse was influenced by political and economic factors, as sanitary measures impacted trade and colonial administration. While liberals favored urban sanitation policies, conservatives promoted quarantines and trade restrictions. Finally, the study shows how the evolution of medicine, from anatomical observation to the discovery of pathogenic microorganisms, transformed the understanding of cholera and led to the development of more effective treatments. Although Benoit's treatise was forgotten, his work reflects the transition of medical discourse in the 19th century.