Naples in the Time of Cholera, 1884-1911

This is a medical and social history of Italy's largest city during the cholera epidemics of 1884 and 1910-11. It explores the factors that exposed Naples to risk; examines such popular responses as social hysteria, riots and religiosity; and traces therapeutic strategies. Cholera also became a metaphor for discontent with the regime: the 1884 outbreak was a national issue which led to the rebuilding of the city amidst widespread corruption. This extended study of cholera in modern Italy sets Naples in a comparative international framework. The disease is also related to larger historical issues, such as the nature of liberal statecraft, the Southern Question, mass emigration, organized crime, urban renewal and the medical profession.