Beriberi: Mysterious disease in nineteenth-century Brazil

This article presents news about the incidence of beriberi in nineteenth-century Brazil. Responsible for so many troubles, sufferings and human deaths - which fueled remarkable advancement of medical science and nutrition - the illness has lacked attention from historians. This article presents results of research on cases of this disease in Goias and its relation to local eating habits. Although the medical literature of the period does not mention occurrences of the illness in the region, the documentary research has proven that it was endemic and sometimes epidemic in the region.