Compares economic and demographic origins of public health crises in Europe and Americas during colonial age. Distinguishes between root causes and impacts of crop failures and plagues on both continents. Topics include climate, famine and food solidarity in Provence, France; ideas of Malthus and Darwin as applied to statistics on food production and demographic crisis in Toluca valley; relationship between poverty and mortality in Chihuahua, and others. Edition limited to 500 copies.