On caring for the body: the press and hygiene in nineteenth-century Rio de Janeiro

Intensive efforts to urbanize the city of Rio de Janeiro and civilize its inhabitants began in the nineteenth century. Many of the population's values and habits fell out of favor compared with the new way of life that was being disseminated. The press was considered one of the most important instruments in this process of civilization, publishing a wide variety of knowledge and novelties in its periodicals that suggested a new more urbane and civilized way for the population to live. This article examines the pedagogical discourse constructed during this period, specifically recommendations related to bodily hygiene and care.