拉丁美洲疫病影响初探——对西属殖民地早期的考察

Study the Influence of Disease in Early Latin America

当欧洲人到达新大陆之初,拉丁美洲屡次遭受疫病的沉重打击。这些疫病主要是由于欧洲人带到新大陆的病毒引发。疫病的频发给拉丁美洲带来了深远的影响。首先疫病带来了大量人口患病或死亡,造成新大陆劳动力的严重短缺,进而开启了拉丁美洲的黑人奴隶制。其次,疫病的发生极大地降低了土著人口的战斗力,从而加快了西班牙殖民者的征服进程。再次,疫病的频发影响了土著印第安人的人口构成。最后,在客观上,殖民者在抵抗疫病的过程中也将更为科学、合理的防止疾病发生的理念和措施带到了新大陆,促进了拉丁美洲医药业的发展。

During the early colonial time, Latin America was hit by diseases several times. All these diseases were caused by virus coming from Europe. Disease not only brought population decrease but also changed the original social order. First, the population decreasing opened the Black slavery in Latin America. Second, the diseases also quicken the process of conquest. Third, those diseases lowered the quantity and quality of American Indian. Finally, in resisting those disea- ses, the more scientific ideas and measures adopt by colonist promoted the developing of the medicine profession objectively in the New World.