title: [Malaria in Pula in the seventies of the 19th century and the epidemic in 1879].
abstract: Malaria played a leading role in the complex Istrian sanitary history. From the beginning  of the 18th century, wars, famine, and epidemics depopulated large areas and favoured the  spread of the diseases. Socioeconomic structures were also affected, generating a drop in cultivation  of the fields, end of drainage works, and later, abandonment of farmed land because  of the formation of palustrine stagnant water and decay of traditional sanitary regulations.  The dissolution of Benedictine monasteries also played an important role in the spread of  malaria. Working on tillage, drainage and cultivation, the Benedictines not only radically  changed the Istrian landscape, reducing the impact and spread of infectious diseases but,  through a wise land administration, they also succeeded in creating food supplies for famine  periods, which were so frequent in the region. Southern Istria and the town of Pula in particular,  were the most affected by the disease. Owing to severe famine that hit Istria in 1879,  malaria assumed epidemic proportions, causing widespread malnutrition and physiological  weakness on the population, which favoured the propagation of infectious agents.
authors.affiliation: Center of Historical Research, Rovinj, Croatia. cigui@crsrv.org
authors.forename: Rino
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cigui
mesh_terms: D017523:Croatia; D058872:Epidemics / Q000266:history*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000266:history*