Ecos de la enfermedad: una historia cultural de la tuberculosis en Medellín (Colombia), 1916-1946

Objective/context: During the first half of the twentieth century, intensified efforts were made in Colombia to combat infectious diseases, with a special emphasis on public health campaigns. This article explores tuberculosis from a cultural perspective in the pre-antibiotic era, analyzing its representation in the public sphere through the written press in Medellín. Methodology: Articles, notes, and advertisements on tuberculosis and anti-tuberculosis campaigns were identified in El Colombiano. The documentary analysis allowed studying the role of journalistic discourse in shaping the social perception of this disease. Originality: Unlike previous studies focused on official sources and medical documents, this article highlights the value of the press as a key space to understand the social and cultural dimensions of tuberculosis. In addition to echoing medical and institutional debates, the press also shaped collective imaginaries. Conclusions: The press acted as a mediator between medical knowledge and society, facilitating the dissemination of information on prevention and treatment in a context of growing concern about social diseases. The analysis reveals how limited hospital capacity and precarious resources accentuated stigma and marginalization of the sick. It also exposes realities such as daily insecurity, hospital and prison overcrowding, and the anguish caused by the disease, which led some patients to opt for suicide after receiving the diagnosis. Finally, the study highlights the importance of the media in the transnational circulation of medical knowledge and the construction of discourses on health and modernity.