Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

NOTICE.

DR BRUNTON has informed us, that he has discovered himself to have made a mistake in supposing the pathetic little poem which we quoted from his Memoir to have been a composition of Mrs Brunton. It was written by a gentleman who has favoured us occasionally with several elegant pieces of poetry for this journal, and, what is singular enough, this very poem is actually to be found in our Number for October 1817. Mrs Brunton must have been struck with some resemblance in it to the state of her own feelings at the time, and accordingly copied it with a very slight variation,—a practice to which she was so little given, that it was scarcely possible for Dr Brunton not to have fallen into this error. Magazine poets may learn from this that their most beautiful effusions are almost as much concealed from the eye of the world as if they remained in their cabinets; yet there may be one reader in a thousand, to whom these verses give pleasure or consolation, and that reader may be a Mrs Brunton. This, we should think, is sufficient encouragement: and could a greater compliment be paid to an anonymous poet, than to have his verses undoubtingly and eagerly ascribed to a person of her worth and genius.

ERRATA.

Page 19, for tract, read trait.

29, for "bards of Scotland," read "bards of England."

*The Correspondents of the EDINBURGH MAGAZINE AND LITERARY MISCELLANY are respectfully requested to transmit their Communications for the Editor to ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE and COMPANY, Edinburgh, or LONGMAN and COMPANY, London; to whom also orders for the Work should be.. particularly addressed.

Printed by George Ramsay & Co.

THE

EDINBURGH MAGAZINE,

AND

LITERARY MISCELLANY.

JULY 1819.

ON THE PLAGUE AT MALTA.

MR EDITOR,

I SEND you, for insertion in your Journal, a letter which I lately received from a gentleman of high character and respectability, who was resident at Malta during the plague in that island in 1813. You may depend upon the accuracy of his information.-I am, &c.

London, 2d February 1819. My Dear Friend,-In compliance with your request, I proceed to give you some account of the plague which prevailed at Malta during my resi dence there. I must, however, premise, that, having retained no memoranda on the subject, I can only detail a few of the most striking circumstances as they occur to me.

It has never, I believe, been fully ascertained how the plague was introduced into Malta; but as, at the time of its appearance, the island maintained an extensive commercial intercourse with Egypt, where the disease was unusually fatal, there is reason to suppose that some infected articles from thence had been concealed, and privately disposed of, instead of being deposited in the Lazaretto for purification. The first case which excited alarm occurred towards the end of April 1813. A Maltese physician having been requested to visit a child, the daughter of a shoemaker in Val letta, soon perceived that his patient had a fever of no ordinary description; and the suspicions which had been excited by the appearance of

glandular swellings were confirmed on the death of the child, when small livid marks were observed on the body. These circumstances were communicated to the Government; and, as the mother of the child was seized with similar symptoms, it was deemed necessary to prevent all unnecessary intercourse with this illfated family. Measures were likewise taken to discover those who had recently frequented the house; and several persons were, in consequence, placed under observation. In the mean time, the woman died; and her husband was removed to the Lazaretto, where he in like manner was taken ill, and died. Various were now the opinions of medical men in regard to the nature of the malady. The principal officers of the British Medical Staff concurred in pronouncing it the plague; and some of those gentlemen were no strangers to that malady, having witnessed its ravages in the British camp during the first Egyptian expedition. This opinion, however, was strenuously opposed by the Maltese practitioners in general, although none of them were, from their own experience, competent to judge. Amid this contrariety of opinions, there could be no doubt as to the expediency of adopting measures of precaution. Accordingly, in the beginning of May, the Government issued a proclamation, by which the churches, the courts of judicature, the theatre, and other places of public resort, were required to be shut, until the nature of the disease could be fully ascertained; and such further re

strictions on the intercourse of the inhabitants were imposed as the circumstances of the case seemed to warrant. These measures were, doubt less, wise and salutary; but, unfortunately, their efficacy was greatly counteracted by the incredulity of the Maltese. Naturally averse to believe what they could not contemplate without horror, the people listened with eagerness to the assurances of those whose professional knowledge they regarded with deference. They, therefore, did not hesitate to evade the observance of restrictions which, under any circumstances, must be irksome, but which were now judged arbitrary and oppressive, in proportion as they were considered unnecessary. The English families, in the mean time, adopted the more prudent system of rigid seclusion, If public duty required the master of the house to go out, the other members of the family were closely shut up; and the result proved the wisdom of this precaution, inasmuch as of the numerous British residents few or none fell victims to the plague.

The progress of the disease was at first so very slow, that hopes began to be entertained of its having been totally extinguished, by the timely removal to the Lazaretto of those who were discovered to have held communication with the family first attacked. Towards the middle of May, however, several sudden deaths occurred in different districts of Valletta, and, on examination of the bodies of the deceased, pestilential marks were invariably discovered. Those persons, it is probable, had concealed their illness, under the apprehension of being separated from their families, or deserted by their neighbours. The town was now divided into various districts, separated from each other by barriers, which none were suffered by the police-guards to pass, except the public functionaries, who were distinguished by a particular badge, or such other persons as were furnished with government permits. An additional Lazaretto, or pest-hospital, was established at Fort-Manuel, an out-post which, from its airy and insulated situation, seemed admirably calculated for that purpose; and thither the sick, and those under circumstances of very strong suspicion, were generally removed. Amid this afflicting

visitation, it was pleasing to observe the zeal and alacrity with which the principal inhabitants came forward to render themselves useful. Large sums were subscribed in aid of those who were prevented from exercising their usual occupations. Some promoted the observance of the Government regulations within their respective districts, while others visited those parts of the town where the disease prevailed most, encouraging the desponding, administering to the wants of the poor, and aiding the public officers in the discharge of their painful duties. But, in spite of every precaution, the disease was gaining ground; and those few persons who had been induced to attend the sick in the pest-hospitals, and to bury the dead, were themselves daily falling victims to the malady. Amongst the difficulties to be encountered at this period, one of the most formidable was that of providing for services of such imminent danger. Amid this embarrassment, the voluntary tender of a few convicts, on condition of being set at liberty after a certain period of service, was gladly accepted; and the number was increased by some Forzati, or galley-slaves, from Sicily, whom the Government of that island had permitted to volunteer their services under similar conditions. Had these unfortunate persons availed themselves of the oil-skin dresses, and other means of preven tion afforded them, I have no doubt that several might have survived to claim the reward of their useful la bours. But, having necessarily free access to infected houses for the removal of the sick and the dead, and being little calculated by their previous habits to resist the temptations thus afforded them, they too generally gave themselves up to riot and excess, and rushed, as it were, into the arms of death. I remember, however, to have seen one of those persons, who, though incessantly occupied for several months in his perilous functions, entirely escaped infection, and survived to return to Sicily. But such instances were of rare occurrence; and the exemption of this person might, perhaps, be owing, in some degree, to a physical peculiarity.One of the most appalling spectacles exhibited during the plague, was that of the dead cart moving along through

the now silent and deserted streets, while the wretches by whom it was attended, maddened by excess, or frantic from despair, too often shocked those whom curiosity attracted to their windows, by their profane mirth, and offensive ribaldry. I advert chiefly to the earlier periods of the plague; for, in course of time, there was less difficulty in procuring more responsible persons for such services, either from amongst those who had recovered from the disease, or from the numerous Levantines who resorted to the island from motives of interest. Several, too, of the prisoners of war, began to volunteer their services, on receiving large wages, and under the promise of being liberated after a stated period of service; and I am happy to add, that a large propcrtion of them survived to claim the fulfilment of this engagement. The persons thus engaged were now regularly classed. Some were appointed to attend in the pest-hospitals, under the direction of the medical officers; others were exclusively employed in the burial of the dead; and a great proportion were occupied in a service of peculiar danger, that of removing, from infected houses, the various articles of furniture and wearing apparel, which were burned or purified, as circumstances might require. Over each of these departments persons of respectability, and experience, (amongst whom were several merchants who had resided long in the Levant,) were appointed to preside, while the general superintendence of the executive departments was vested in the Inspector General of Police.

It were difficult to convey an adequate idea of the various and complicated miseries to which the plague gave rise. Besides the suspension of judicial proceedings, the discontinuance of public worship, and the general cessation of social intercourse, there was a total stagnation of commerce; and extreme difficulty was experienced in procuring supplies adequate to the wants of so large a population. Shunned by our Sicilian, and even by our Barbaresque neighbours, upon whom the island mainly depended for provisions, the horrors of famine must have ensued, had not the Government adopted prompt and efficacious measures to ward off this additional calamity. The markets, like other places of public resort, were

shut; and the various necessaries of life were conveyed by means of carts, which plied at regular hours through the different districts of Valletta. Butcher's meat and vegetables were received in water mixed with vinegar. Bread alone might be received with safety; for by a kind provision of Providence, corn is, in the language of the Lazaretto, a non-susceptible article, and, as such, is always exempted from the performance of quarantine. Of the danger of neglecting the precautions I have just mentioned, a remarkable instance now occurs to me. An eminent Maltese physician, one of the members of the Council of Health, happened to be at his door when the provision cart stopped. Having directed a certain quantity of meat to be weighed out for the use of his family, he inadvertently received it from the hands of the butcher, instead of allowing the latter to plunge it, as usual, into water. The butcher, though not conscious of his situation, had been previously infected, for, be fore completing his usual round, he betrayed unequivocal symptoms of plague. The physician was shortly afterwards taken ill, and in the course of two or three days both died. You are aware, that in nothing is caution more requisite than in the receipt of letters; but after being cut, and for a short time exposed to the fumigation arising from burning straw, mixed with various ingredients, of which the most essential are sulphur and vinegar, the paper may be handled with perfect safety.

Amid the general distress, the Maltese found a great resource in the recitation of their devotional exercises. In the evening especially, the whole town resounded with the Ave Maria, the respective families being assembled at the doors, or on the flat roofs of their houses; and the circumstances of the times seemed to add a fervour to their devotions which rendered them peculiarly impressive. Although the churches were shut, many of the clergy were very actively and usefully employed in the exercise of their professional duties. The friars, in particular, were extremely assiduous in their attendance on the sick and the dying; and several of them used their influence over the minds of the people with great effect, inducing them to comply more readily with the salutary regulations

« ПредишнаНапред »