Los Bandos de Policía y Buen Gobierno en Puerto Rico. El ordenamiento urbano y la protección de la salud y la higiene en el siglo XIX

Abstract

This article uses the Bandos de Policía y Buen Gobierno (Public Orders) from 1789 to 1849 as the sources to examine public policies adopted by the Captaincy General of Puerto Rico during a period of rapid economic change, rural-urban migration, and urbanization. I analyze diverse aspects of public health and hygiene that served as venues through which the colonial state influenced the daily life of individuals. Behavior qualified as pernicious to good health, and paradigms and scientific/judicial trends are highlighted as references for the construction and re-creation of concepts such as civilization, modernity, and progress.