Disease and diet in the construction of otherness between the soldiers of the Brazilian Imperial Army during the War of the Farrapos.

During the War of the Farrapos, the imperial army called thousands of Brazilians to fight against the Rio Grande republicans. The ten years of conflict brought soldiers from different regions of Brazil together in one place, and reciprocal social interaction led to the construction of otherness relationships. A broad spectrum of accents, experiences and references came together, making the diversity of Brazilians from different regions visible. This diversity stimulated the demarcation of different and shared means of identification, among which we highlight diet and diseases, which served as signs to identify/differentiate the origins of the troops. These questions are analyzed based on handwritten documentation produced daily by Army administrators.