Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

A debate over the link between Salvador Allende, Max Westenhöfer, and Rudolf Virchow: contributions to the history of social medicine in Chile and internationally* * [Editor’s note] On this subject, Howard Waitzkin responded on a letter (http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0104-59702020000400019), to which the authors replied on another letter (http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0104-59702020000400020).

Abstract

In the history of Latin American social medicine, numerous works have presented a harmonious link between Rudolf Virchow, Max Westenhöfer, and Salvador Allende, which establishes the origin of ideas of Latin American social medicine in a prestigious European source, represented by Virchow. A key to that story is that Allende was a student of Westenhöfer, a disciple of Virchow who lived in Chile three times (1908-1911, 1929-1932, and 1948-1957). Based on primary sources and contextual data, this article problematizes the relationship between Allende and Westenhöfer, and questions the influence of Virchow in Chilean social medicine.

Salvador Allende (1908-1973; Max Westenhöfer (1871-1957; Rudolf Virchow (1821-1902; social medicine; Chile

Casa de Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Av. Brasil, 4365, 21040-900 , Tel: +55 (21) 3865-2208/2195/2196 - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brazil
E-mail: hscience@fiocruz.br