Down through the nineteenth century, new medical theories on the origin of disease influenced the norms and regulations that controlled the population's behavior and the urban space. The present study discusses the ideas, medical practices, and administrative initiatives adopted during the 1877-79 drought in Fortaleza, capital of Ceará province. The drought was accompanied by a smallpox epidemic, along with the increased migration of sertão dwellers to the capital. The city lacked a public service network capable of meeting the needs of this new population, which took up lodgings on the city and periphery. The municipal administration endeavored to implement the recommendations of physicians, based on modern principles of hygienization. Through an analysis of reports by the provincial presidents and by public health inspectors, the study intends to show how these medical theories influenced the practices of urban reorganization at a moment of public emergency.
urban discipline; medical theory; hygiene; drought; smallpox