Eileen van der Burgh is a PhD candidate at the Institute for History.

More information about Eileen van der Burgh

Research

Policy versus practice: The history of quarantine in the Dutch empire (1864-1928)

Quarantine has been part of the maritime world since the early modern period. Ships sailing across the globe were regarded as potential health hazards because diseases were often present on board. During the nineteenth century, the expansion of world trade further increased the movement of goods and people. At the same time cholera, smallpox, the plague, and other diseases frequently caused epidemics, causing quarantine measures to be imposed on incoming ships in order to prevent them spreading further. Merchants were not particularly pleased with such measures, as they caused delays and additional costs. Governments constantly had to weigh the public health benefits of quarantine against commercial and imperial interests.

This project investigates the relationship between the maritime practice and the development of quarantine regulations at both the national and international levels. Next to policy, this project also focuses on quarantine in daily practice, for example on board of nineteenth century steamships and in quarantine instiutions. Combining both a maritime historical perspective and a medical historical outlook this project will shed light on past quarantine practices in the Netherlands, Suriname, and Indonesia.

Fields of interest

• Maritime History
• History of Medicine
• Global History

Publications