Interesting disinfection - Portugal

  • During the years little was written about mail disinfection in Portugal. All the examples shown in the few articles I saw where sent from abroad. Denis wrote an article in Pratique vol. XXIX, 2004, no2, pages 36-42 showing some nice examples and gave some data about regulations of quarantine.

    Here I present a letter sent from Porto to Coimbra m.s dated 4 August 1855 and post cachet 5 August. Postage paid 25 Reis. It was twice slit. Each slit 25 mm long. It will be usefully to have more data about disinfection done for letters sent into Portugal.Portugal 1.jpg

  • Dear Hedy,

    A very interesting inland letter from the cholera epidemic of 1853/56! In 1855 the cholera reached Portugal through the Douro river in May and it spread from there. The harbour of Oporto was declared dirty on July 1st, 1855. By November/December the epidemic came to an end. I have two Spanish disinfected letters from this epidemic in my collection (Spanish Cholera Epidemic of 1854/55) but none of them is related to Portugal.

    André


    P.S. I have almost all Pratique volumes but vol. XXIX no2 is still missing. Is it possible that you make scans or photographs of the article you were referring to?

  • Dear Andre


    I did a scan of the vol xxix no2 and sent to your mail.


    Regards

  • Good afternoon,


    Letter sent from Porto on October 3, 1855 to José Maria de Andrade, Valença. At Porto post office the letter was prepaid with a embossed D. Pedro V, straight hair, die 1, blue, canceled by a circular barred numeral “52” to pay the inland rate up to 2/8 oz. At the time Porto was affected by cholera-morbus and likely at the destination it was disinfected by applying 1 slit with 14 mm and likely smoked.


    This is a theme that interests me and I would like to ask if anyone has the text Pratique The Newsletter of the Disinfected Mail Study Circle Volume XXIX N.2 because it contains an article about Portugal.


    Thank you

  • Hi,


    attached you can find a scan of the requested article about Portugal from Denis Vandervelde in Pratique Volume XXIX N.2


    Hope that this will help you - if you have any interesting you would like to share we are happy the hear your conclusions.


    Regards,

    Bjoern