Chemistry applied to Medicine: The school of Tropical Medicine of Lisbon (1902-1935)

This paper aims to reflect on the role of chemistry, both in the research and clinical activity undertaken by the medical staff of the School of Tropical Medicine, between 1902 and 1935. The Lisbon School of Tropical Medicine, founded in 1902, was the result of the process of colonization carried out by the Portuguese State during the twentieth century. The creation of this specialized institution reflects a global interest in tropical medicine by European empires such as the British and the French. The methodology chosen is an analysis of the scientific production led by the Portuguese doctors of the school, as well as of the reports and the scientific missions in the tropics, during the first forty years of the Lisbon School of Tropical Medicine. Chemistry appears to be a crucial tool for medicine in the first decades of the twentieth century in Portugal and a most effective vehicle for colonization, particularly in Africa. Chemistry must necessarily be part of the European language of colonization.