At the intersection of the social, political, cultural and scientific realms, the introduction pressents a general framework for the wirting of a history of an embodiment of connections, that brings to the fore unexpected mechanisms of coproduction of knowledge, endless debates on objectivity and medical pluralism, and fierce struggles for the sake of authority, recognition and prestige on elusive subjects such as hunger, fasting, inanition and starvation. Since scientific controversies about hunger and inanition were not limited to academic circles, they spread throughout an urban public arena that acted as a useful playground in that battle for authority.