Notes for a History of Pseudoscience in Mexico: «My Water Cure», of Sebastian Kneipp, in the Mexican press (1891-1902)

Abstract

This article studies the presence of the German priest Sebastian Kneipp and his famous text My Water Cure (Kempten, 1886) in the Mexican press from the end of the 19th Century. Drawing on the history of reading, the text’s form and content are reviewed, as well as its high popularity, that made it a Bestseller of its time. Consequently, the consideration of this text, and the method it proposed by the Mexican press is being analyzed, and the reason why this did not permeate the normative medical discourse. On the contrary, it is concluded that this method was well known by various social strata and that the references to it in the press –such as translations in international news, in publicity, in cartoons and political satire– were part of the construction of a public opinion and of a Mexican identity.