From O Malho, Rio de Janeiro, 1908.
When the Indians revolted and did not want to give him supplies, Christopher Columbus told them that because of this, the sun would disappear. It was a stratagem; Colombo knew there was going to be an eclipse of the sun. When it started, the savages submitted and worshiped him…
And since in many things the people of today differ little from the savages of that time, Dr. Oswaldo Cruz, who only works for the good, can also employ a stratagem. The Hachette journal puts out an illustration showing that vaccinations in Paris are chic…
…put out the word to the up-to-date people of Botafogo [upscale beachfront neighborhood in Rio]. Soon there will not be enough vaccinators. The whole arroz aristocracy will make a real advance in the lancets of public health.
For the other popular classes in Rio: washerwomen, shysters, soldiers, innkeepers, Dr. Oswaldo will say that the “crum” [raw?] inoculated vaccine will give everyone the ability to foretell and enjoy good fortune in the numbers game [illegal gambling]…
The vaccination posts will then be insufficient to contain the crowd of those agitating to get in…
Sic Transit Pestilentia 