Junta de Inspecção de Providências Contra a Peste: contributions to the study of Health administration in portuguese judicial districts in early 19th century

Abstract

Public health issues in the kingdoms of Portugal and the Algarve were under jurisdiction of Lisbon’s House Senate, namely, through  the Health Department whose councilor held the position of Chief Health Ombudsman of Court and Kingdom. The fundamental sources upon which this paper is based, belonging to the Arquivo Municipal de Lisboa (Lisbon Municipal Archives), enable us to  establish that superintendence since the 16th to the early 19th centuries, ascertaining that the local power (Lisbon’s) acted as a  centralizing institution on matters related to public health. The reforms undertaken, in 1804, in benefit of the public health, although involving several central power bodies, did not represent any loss of responsibility of Lisbon’s House Senate, as it is possible to  confirm through the Quesitos a que he necessario responder cada hum dos Corregedores de Comarcas deste Reino, e do Reino do 
Algarve.