Deconstructing epidemics and “Harvesting the Vulnerable”: Case studies from the historical Mediterranean

Abstract:

Assessing the epidemic experience in populations can be fraught with ambiguities and methodological issues.  In this talk, I present on case studies from 19^th and 20^th century small-scale societies of Gibraltar and the Maltese islands (Malta and Gozo). Traditional anthropological and demographic methods were used to evaluate general health (infant mortality rates and life expectancies) and describe infectious disease occurrence at intra and inter- population levels. The objectives of the studies were grounded in the following questions: (1) When is an epidemic an epidemic?; (2) Can we generalize about the disease experience across populations? and; (3) What can past epidemics teach us about future epidemics?  I offer clarification in defining an epidemic, presented within the context of disease outcomes in marginalized colonial settings. Both qualitative and quantitative measures for evaluating the severity of an epidemic is discussed, as well as “healthy” periods and “harvesting of the vulnerable.”  Examples of deadly and horrific diseases such as cholera, pandemic influenza, tuberculosis and undulant fever, challenge preconceived ideas of similarities in the epidemic experience. I discuss how “hidden heterogeneity” within and across Mediterranean communities arose from a host of factors such as religion, cultural practices, sex, gender roles, prior disease exposure, population scale, settlement type (urban vs. rural) and economic factors.  Extending beyond the historical context, these studies brings us closer to a deeper comprehension of how disease and humans interact, and offer insight into the conditions necessary for present epidemics of re-emerging infectious diseases.

Everyone is welcome!