Tertian fevers in Menorca in the context of the Maldá Oscillation the fevers of 1782

The confluence of extreme climatic anomalies in the late 18th Century led to the alteration of ecosystems and the expansion of malarial fevers beyond their traditional endemic areas, affecting the development of daily life in the society of the time. Fevers spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula between 1783 and 1786, causing growing concern among doctors and authorities about ways to effectively tackle the epidemic. Tertial fevers were also present in the Balearic Islands, especially in Menorca, as reported by correspondents of the Real Academia Médico-Práctica de Barcelona in relation to the episode of fevers in 1782. The aim of this article was to analyze, through the testimony of Dr. Miquel Oleo, a doctor from Ciutadella in Menorca, the main points of infection on the island, taking account of the prevailing environmental conditions and the particularities of the island’s climate and human activities. We also devote a section to analyzing the solutions proposed by the doctor in response to the questions posed by Juan Baptista de San Martín y Navas, Royal Auditor of the Army and Island of Menorca and member of its governing board.