La historia de la medicina en las enfermedades epidémicas: entre la realidad y la imaginación

Abstract

In this work we presented a brief essay of the epidemics or pandemics that took place in the Western world and from which we have reliable documentation from the fourteenth century to the present moment. In the same vein we say that we are immersed in the epidemic of the 21^st century as a direct consequence of the economic bonanza we are going through. In our case the scenario is applied to Spain and Asturias; reflecting the number of deaths. The struggle for life with the food deficiencies that constantly engrifíed humanity until the eighteenth century that nullify any possibility of innate defense against evil, the sudden death of bubonic plague, the deformations of smalllpox, etc. occupy the hard part, but it is the reality of the human path. In the background we expose a series of films or novels correlated with outbreaks. This is pure fantasy.

We believe that both visions can be complemented because fear, hatred of the foreigner, insecurity about future, isolation, the reflection of flight, the fear of death or the search for a healing remedy are real situations in both worlds.