MANTEGAZZA, Paolo

MANTEGAZZA, Paolo. Monza, Lombardy 31.10.1831 — San Terenzo, Lerici, Liguria 28.8.1910. Italian Physician, Author and Traveller, also a Darwinian Anthropologist. Studies at Pisa and Milano. Worked as physician in Milano, the Professor of Pathology at Pavia, from 1870 Professor of Anthropology at Florence, finally member of the Italian Senate. He visited South America and Lappland, in 1881-82 India. In Kerala he became interested in Todas and conducted a study of them. He was corresponding with Darwin, but he was also one of the first to turn his ideas to racial purposes. He construed a racial hierarchy, with the “Aryan race” on top. Among other things, he was eagerly defending the use of cocaine.

Publications: “Studii sull’etnologia dell’India”, Archivio per l’antropologia e l’etnologia 13, 1883, 177-241, 379-504.

– Books on hygiene, travel books, fiction, etc.

Sources: A. Sorrentino, “Un ‘igienista’ fra i Toda: Paolo M.”, La conoscenza dell’ Asia 2, 1985, 435-449; Wikipedia with photo (more in Italian version, both with further references).

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