[Alferecía and the first cases of tetanus neonaturum described in Chile in 1894]

Abstract

Federico Puga Borne presented the first two cases of known Chilean tetanus neonatorum in 1891. These cases had a fatal course, were poorly described and had no necropsy. The presentation was done in a regular session of the Sociéte Scientifique du Chili, founded in 1891 by a French citizen settled in the country, and published in the Actes de la Sociéte Scientifique du Chili. At this time, tetanus had never been seen in a newborn in Chile, while it was very common in other South American countries; its popular name was alferecía, but this term covered many other neurological disorders.