Original scientific paper
Tuberculosis as a Topic in Istrian Newspapers in the Period 1919-1940
Milan Radošević
orcid.org/0000-0002-8507-9314
Abstract
In this paper, the author deals with the presentation and critical analysis of articles published between the two wars in Istrian press, primarily in the Pula daily newspaper L’Azione (Corriere Istriano), to the topic of tuberculosis. Apart from demographic problems, this disease caused major economic problems to the Istrian peninsular, due to a large number of patients and insuffi cient funds provided by the municipal authorities for settling the hospitalisation costs for their inhabitants. In accordance with this, the fascist authorities not only in Istria, but also throughout Italy, paid great attention to this issue in the media, thereby informing the public of anti-tuberculosis measures and educating it on issues regarding personal hygiene and the possibilities for preventing further spreading of the contagion. In comparison with other provinces in the Kingdom of Italy, Istria was, together with the province Venezia-Giulia, following World War One, on the top of the death-by-tuberculosis list; the mortality rate on the Istrian peninsular exceeded two per mille. In the fi rst few years after World War One, Istrian newspapers, being the most infl uential interwar media, explained that such a high mortality rate resulting from tuberculosis might, on the Istrian peninsular, be explained as an eff ect of inadequate personal hygiene, malnutrition, underdeveloped health-related infrastructure and insuffi cient health-related education. Calamities caused by World War One (famine; the exhaustion of soldiers returning from the battlefield, and of Istrian women and children from Austrian, Hungarian and Czech transit camps) further intensifi ed these preconditions. In 1920, by the Treaty of Rapallo, Istria was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy; however, only in 1926, when the Anti-Tuberculosis Consortium for Istria was established, a multilevel tackling of this pressing demographic and social problem was initiated. It was only after the institutionalisation of fascism was brought to an end in the late 1920s that the media discourse related to the tuberculosis issue changed; the causes for the spreading of tuberculosis were as of that time accredited to the negligence of an individual, whilst optimism and an overall promotion of the benefi cent mobilisation and financial solidarity of the population replaced the criticism of health policy.
Keywords
tuberculosis; media; Istria; interwar
Hrčak ID:
85477
URI
Publication date:
12.6.2012.
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