Latest articles

Research note: Mental health in Germany ca. 1900
This post focuses on the development of mental health care in Germany around the turn of the 19th century.

Research note: Colonial approaches to sleeping sickness
This post focuses on how British and French colonial governments reacted to sleeping sickness epidemics and what motivated their approach.

Do We Learn from Natural Disasters? The 1877-1879 Drought and Famine in Northeast Brazil
This piece shares recent research on the causes of the 1877-1879 famine in Brazil, narrowing on food prices and mortality.

Research note: the rise of public health
This post focuses on scientific and social factors to explain the rise of public health as a state priority during the 19th century.

Smallpox vaccination in 19th-century Finland: lessons from a vaccine mandate
In historical Finland, the vaccination law succeeded in improving smallpox vaccine uptake despite high hesitancy among the public.

Long run differences in mortality rates between Indigenous and white Australians 1788-2000
The persistent lower-life expectancy of Indigenous Australians reflects contemporary social failures and the impact of a violent colonial past.