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Águas que curam, águas que «energizam»: etnografia da prática terapêutica termal na Sulfúrea (Portugal) e nas Caldas da Imperatriz (Brasil)
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Abstract(s)
Esta tese consiste num estudo etnográfico comparado sobre as práticas terapêuticas termais de duas estâncias, Cabeço de Vide (Portugal) e Caldas da Imperatriz (Santa Catarina, Brasil).
A partir dos dois estudos de caso realizados, pretende-se mostrar como é que as formas de
conceber as «águas» como um agente terapêutico conduzem a diferentes usos e saberes. Procura-se
ainda perceber qual a sua relação com o processo de formação socio-histórico dos lugares
específicos que são as estâncias termais (termas) e das disciplinas que sustentam os saberes
«científicos» relativos ao uso da água termal como «medicamento» durante os séculos XIX e XX,
destacando-se a hidrologia médica. Neste sentido são analisadas as actividades e a regulamentação
relativas a espaços, usos da água, saberes e representações do objecto de estudo – a prática
terapêutica termal. A partir da discussão do conceito de termalismo analisa-se as suas práticas como
actividade que se estruturou entre a medicina e o turismo e cujo desenvolvimento depende da
relação estabelecida entre estes domínios. A análise das implicações da inserção ou exclusão do
termalismo do sistema biomédico, que os dois contextos nacionais em estudo pretendem ilustrar,
adquire aqui relevância.
Através desta etnografia da prática terapêutica termal pretende-se, por um lado, identificar
conceitos locais como os de saúde, doença, dor, sofrimento, remédio e «cura», partindo da ideia da
água enquanto agente terapêutico, e, por outro lado, analisar e discutir o sentido atribuído à
experiência da estadia termal pelos aquistas/hóspedes, que evidenciam diferentes «modelos
explicativos» do tratamento termal. Enquanto que no contexto português este se encontra
relacionado com os modelos médicos, no contexto brasileiro insere-se também em filosofias
religiosas. Aos diferentes modelos correspondem diferentes idiomas que expressam experiências e
visões do mundo, centrados ora nas «dores, ora na «energia», e que traduzem formas
idiossincráticas e sincréticas de conceber esta prática, compreendendo-se que as «águas» sejam
procuradas para «curar» ou «energizar».
This thesis is a comparative ethnographical study of the therapeutic practices found at two spas, Cabeço de Vide (Portugal) and Caldas da Imperatriz (Brazil). Starting from these two case studies, it is intended to show how the ways of conceiving «the waters» as a therapeutic agent lead to different uses and knowledge. Also examined is the connection of the latter with the processes by which the specific places now known as «spas» were socially and historically constructed, and with the development of disciplines which support the «scientific» knowledge produced on the uses of thermal waters as «medicines» along the 19th and 20th Centuries, and particularly medical hydrology. Such an approach leads to the analysis of activities and regulations concerning the spaces, the uses of water, knowledge and representations involved in the main subject of the thesis – therapeutic practices at the spas. The concept of thermalism is discussed and its practices analyzed as an activity which has been structured between medicine and tourism and owes its development to the association of both those realms. The analysis of the consequences of thermalism being included in or excluded from the biomedical system, as exemplified by the national contexts where the study was developed, becomes thus relevant. The ethnography of therapeutic practices at the spas is intended to account for local concepts of health, disease, pain, suffering, remedy and «cure» drawing on the notion of water as therapeutic agent, and, furthermore, to examine and discuss the meaning conferred to the experience at the spas by the spa-goers/guests themselves, revealing different «explanatory models» of the treatment at the spas. While in the Portuguese context this model is related to medical ones, in the Brazilian case it is also inscribed in religious philosophies. Each model corresponds to a different idiom expressing experiences and worldviews, one focusing on «pains» and the other on «energy», thus conveying idiosyncrasies and syncretism in the way this practice is conceived of and defining two different kinds of reasons for the use of these waters, meant «to cure» or «to energize».
This thesis is a comparative ethnographical study of the therapeutic practices found at two spas, Cabeço de Vide (Portugal) and Caldas da Imperatriz (Brazil). Starting from these two case studies, it is intended to show how the ways of conceiving «the waters» as a therapeutic agent lead to different uses and knowledge. Also examined is the connection of the latter with the processes by which the specific places now known as «spas» were socially and historically constructed, and with the development of disciplines which support the «scientific» knowledge produced on the uses of thermal waters as «medicines» along the 19th and 20th Centuries, and particularly medical hydrology. Such an approach leads to the analysis of activities and regulations concerning the spaces, the uses of water, knowledge and representations involved in the main subject of the thesis – therapeutic practices at the spas. The concept of thermalism is discussed and its practices analyzed as an activity which has been structured between medicine and tourism and owes its development to the association of both those realms. The analysis of the consequences of thermalism being included in or excluded from the biomedical system, as exemplified by the national contexts where the study was developed, becomes thus relevant. The ethnography of therapeutic practices at the spas is intended to account for local concepts of health, disease, pain, suffering, remedy and «cure» drawing on the notion of water as therapeutic agent, and, furthermore, to examine and discuss the meaning conferred to the experience at the spas by the spa-goers/guests themselves, revealing different «explanatory models» of the treatment at the spas. While in the Portuguese context this model is related to medical ones, in the Brazilian case it is also inscribed in religious philosophies. Each model corresponds to a different idiom expressing experiences and worldviews, one focusing on «pains» and the other on «energy», thus conveying idiosyncrasies and syncretism in the way this practice is conceived of and defining two different kinds of reasons for the use of these waters, meant «to cure» or «to energize».
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Keywords
Prática Terapêutica Água Termalismo «Dores» Portugal/Brasil