In our digital age, the contagion metaphor is often part of the language we use regarding the exchange of information. The most popular videos go “viral” online. We share culturally-relevant “memes” via social media that spread like the common cold. But such metaphors are nothing new, especially when applied to migration. As medical knowledge developed in the eighteenth century, metaphors of contagion manifested themselves from the pens of Scottish landowners and political commentators in Great Britain who feared depopulation. Read the full article at Nursing Clio.
