This article will provide a brief analysis of the story «¡A nadar, peces!» by Ricardo Palma, a text in which the use of chicory as a medicinal plant in the viceroyalty society of Peru can be appreciated. It will also detail the current impact of inulin, a chemical derivative extracted from chicory roots. Specifically, its relevance in the various specialties of modern medicine, such as gastroenterology, endocrinology, and immunology, will be analyzed.

This article will explain how the pathology of smallpox manifests itself, taking as a reference one of the first reports of smallpox in Peruvian society: the tradition «La monja de la llave» (The Nun with the Key). This narrative image will then be complemented with data from historical sources, which explain the clinical issue and the eradication with the use of vaccines. Some considerations about monkeypox and the growth of cases in Peru today will also be presented. The aim is to raise public awareness and achieve effective prevention of this disease.