Las deformaciones corporales en la pediatría española. Tradición y ciencia ante el desarrollo de la infancia, 1800-1930

Abstract

The nucleus of this work is the wide spectrum of deformations of the body in relation to the shape, size and other changes of the normal morphological aspect of children. These alterations in child morphology arise not only from congenital or acquired diseases but also from cultural habits and customs in some populations. During the XIXth Century and the first decades of the XXth Century, there was a transition from a traditional vision of the child’s body to a new, modern concept. In the latter case, the rule was to study all deformities scientifically, defining the standards of normality. Examples are taken from Spanish medical sources of this period.