During the 19th century, prostitution aroused strong emotions in most European
cities. Palma de Mallorca was no exception and, in common with many Spanish cities at that
time, regulated this activity. The objectives of this paper are to analyze the Mallorcan medical
discourse on syphilis, evaluate the concept of venereal disease as social stigma and, finally,
examine municipal policy on prostitution.Spanish Ministry of Education
and ScienceBalearic Islands Department of Economy and Innovatio
