Rosa, João Ferreira da
Trattado Único da Constituição Pestilencial de Pernambuco, Lisbon: Miguel Manescal, 1694.
Portuguese physician João Ferreira da Rosa came to Pernambuco in 1687 and worked there for five years before returning to Lisbon. His Tratado includes the first epidemiological characterization of yellow fever. Rosa discussed the possible causes of the disease, described its major symptoms, established its prognosis, and recommended a combination of diet, rest, and local drugs as the best therapeutic approach. This is one of the most influential books in the history of yellow fever epidemiology. A recent acquisition by the JCB, and among our “101” most sought after, only a handful of copies are known to exist.
