Beware of epidemics!

Contagion: “As Minister Plenipotentiary of the Emperor of Infection, I respectfully come forward to present my credentials with the hope that you will want to reestablish the old friendly relations, so unsuccessfully interrupted by the diplomacy of Hygiene. Lady Hygiene having died for lack of care, I do not doubt that our old friendship is now resumed.”

Rio’s poor: “Misericordia! The ambassadors of death are already at the door! [tuberculosis, mendicancy, plague, yellow fever, fake milk, cholera] What kind of diplomacy should I adopt now to drive out such a dangerous band? I will scream and complain at the top of my lungs before tuberculosis destroys us: To arms!”
(O Malho, Rio de Janeiro, 1912)

The plague at our borders

Cholera, yellow fever, bubonic plague… Liberated!… What terrifying rumors!!! Let us now try D. (?) hygiene, to defend our borders and our skins, because if we do not do this, we guarantee that it will not be Italy that comes to do it.
(O Malho, Rio de Janeiro, 1911)

Brazilian cholera yellow fever plague cartoon

The dust of modern Rio!

First two panels:
(Image of a plate of Carioca dust [flour] with typhus, tuberculosis, yellow fever, smallpox, plague, gastroenteritis, etc. “Carioca” is a way of referring to the inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro.)
“We knew the dust of Persia, we knew gold dust, monkey dust and Joanna dust, the river Po [“pó” meaning dust], etc., but… we are completely unaware of this new dust that invades us, suffocates us, and that kills us: the dust from Rio de Janeiro.”

Deathly figure: “Dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return…”
“We know perfectly well that we are dust and that we shall become dust, but that does not mean that we have to feed on dust while we are alive…”
(and four more panels of quirky municipal politics…)
(O Malho, Rio de Janeiro, 1911)

Esperanto course

The all-purpose kiosk includes medical consultation with Dr. Gutierrez, specialist in Asiatic diseases like cholera, bubonic plagues, and yellow fever.
(La Esquella de torratxa, Barcelona, 1927)

Spanish Catalan cholera plague yellow fever cartoon

The iconic Oswaldo Cruz

I lack the Portuguese knowledge to translate all these cartoons in full, but in this post I just want to highlight the iconic status of bacteriologist and public health leader Oswaldo Cruz (1872-1917). For an avowedly secular publication like O Malho, Cruz as the standard-bearer of modern medicine clearly exerted tremendous appeal, though of course its satire often drew attention to the many obstacles in the way of achieving his aims.
(Each image links to the appropriate issue.)

Vaccine-mandate war!… (1904)

The journey of the mosquito czar. Reception in Victoria (1905)

Journey of the mosquito czar — arrival in Bahia (1905)

Essential cleaning (1907)

One more broom… (1907)

Cruz in provincial Pará (1910)

In Pará: Mosquito plague does not kill Governor Coelho (1911)

Federal intervention in Ceara (1914)

At the Pharoux Quay: The messiah of consumption (1908)

The great magician… of coincidences

Roping it in time (1908)

The challenge of tuberculosis (1906)

Plagues on the go (1907)

See also this multi-panel cartoon from 1905. And another from 1908. And a marvelous color cartoon from 1907. And this vaccination cartoon from 1904. Ditto.

The loves of Clementino

(Clementino Fraga was Brazil’s top public health official, best known for working to eradicate yellow fever in Rio de Janeiro.)
Yellow fever (to bubonic plague): “Now, my dear, my turn has come…”
(O Malho, Rio de Janeiro, 1928)

Discretion… that’s the danger!

Regarding mortuary statistics and the pursuit of official hygiene toward plague, yellow fever, smallpox, scarlet fever and croup:
Syphilis: “The public health fight against our illustrious colleagues continues over there…”
Tuberculosis: “And in the meantime (coughing), we are very comfortable here (coughing)… There is nothing (coughing) like doing the job by the sidewalk… (coughing). We arrange more casualties annually (coughing) than all boisterous ailments together (coughing) and we are not uncomfortable…”
(O Malho, Rio de Janeiro, 1914)

Without cease (in Pará)

(The American consul congratulates Brazilians on their progress in the campaign against yellow fever in the northern state of Pará. I think the title puns on the sense of “stopping.”)
O Malho‘s homage to the illustrious governor of Pará, Dr. João Coelho, and to Dr. Oswaldo Cruz, for the meritorious public health work of Pará state, the beginning of a new era of growth for this region, until now so neglected by the powers of the Republic.
(O Malho, Rio de Janeiro, 1911)

Yellow fever

“Now, with the arrival of German doctors, is yellow fever turning blue? I’m purple for seeing this…”
(O Malho, Rio de Janeiro, 1904)

Hygiene in an uproar

Oswaldo Cruz [leading Brazilian bacteriologist and public health figure]: “Oh! terrible phantasm! You’re back here again?! How horrible!”
Yellow: “Hahaha! Did you think I was afraid of your sulfur fumes? Don’t be scared, man! I just came to prove to you that I don’t die of scowls and to warn you that I need some more to close the door in my face… Goodbye! Hahaha!”
(O Malho, Rio de Janeiro, 1905)