[São Paulo residents known as "Southern Yankees" and the "modern disease," namely neurasthenia, in the early decades of the twentieth century].

In a brief period of time the coffee boom, European immigration and the "atlanticization" of various sectors of life saw São Paulo transform from a small village into a thriving Atlantic metropolis. In the early decades of the twentieth century, observers described the city as Yankee City, due to its progress and activity. To what extent does neurasthenia, namely "the most modern and American of disorders", tally with that image? After analysis of advertisements, scientific books and texts for the dissemination of science, as well as articles in journals, it can be stated that neurasthenia was prevalent and widespread. This work emphasizes the socio-cultural familiarity of São Paulo with the phenomenon of neurasthenia.