Innovations and continuism on contagion and quarantines in XIXth century Spain. Reflections on a sanitary, economic and social problem

A finales del siglo XVIII resurgió en España, con bastante fuerza, un debate científico que había empezado en el siglo XV, el de si era posible la transmisión contagiosa de las enfermedades. Los argumentos defendidos por los integrantes de los dos bandos formados en torno a esta controversia rápidamente traspasaron el ámbito científico y se convirtió ésta en una disputa muy ligada a la sostenida entre absolutistas y liberales.In Spain at the end of the 18th century, a scientific debate wich had commenced in the 15th century, resurfaced with some force; namely whether the contagious transmission of diseases was possible. The arguments defended by the members of the two groups wich formed themselves around this controversy rapidly overstepped the strictly scientific and the debate became a dispute very much intertwined with the one sustained between absolutists and liberals