Integrated Remote Sensing to Assess Disease Control: Evidence from Flat Island Quarantine Station, Mauritius (original) (raw)
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Quarantine at Flat Island.docx
Uninhabited offshore islets were considered highly suitable places for confining people suffering from contagious or transmissible diseases in 18th and 19th century Mauritius. Introduction of plant and animal species to sustain the quarantine station transformed the ecosystem of the islands. Witnessing the rapid environmental degradation, the authorities took conservation measures but with mitigated success. This paper looks at the environmental issues raised by the setting up of a Quarantine station for Cholera and other diseases on Flat Island in 1856. The evolution in understanding about ecology from 18th Century naturalism to late 19th Century theories, is inferred through the thinking and corrective actions of colonial functionaries and scientists.
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