The nurse of the Mediterranean

During the First World War Malta did not take an active part in the fighting. Britain was joined in an ‘entente’ a friendship agreement with France since 1904 and later with Russia in 1907. On the other hand Germany was allied to the Austrian- Hungerian Empire, hence when the Great War started in July 1914 there were France, Britain and Russia on one side and Germany and Austria-Hungary on the other. The British fleet “ruled the waves”, hence with France and Britain as allies, to be joined later by Italy, the Mediterranean was more or less an allied lake, with Malta in the centre.peer-reviewe

The Malta cholera epidemic in 1837

The cholera epidemic which reached Malta in 1837 originated in Tessory in India in July 1817. The credit for diagnosing it first goes to Dr. S. Axisa, the physician to the Hospital for Old People in Floriana, when on the 9th June 1837 he was asked to see two inmates who were suffering from a severe illness. The first victims of the epidemic were Paul Attard aged 80 years from Gozo and Francis Abdilla, 70 years, from Zebbug, who died, comforted by the Holy Sacraments. The following three days showed a sharp rise in cases. By noon of the 13th June 1837, 27 persons had been attacked, of whom 17 had died by then. A “Central Committee for the Supervision of Cases of Cholera", was set up when the disease seemed to be getting out of hands. The Committee supervised very closely the activities of the medical profession. A table indicating the incidence of cholera in the island of Gozo during the epidemic is presented. The official thanksgiving for the restoration of the public health took place on the 23rd October when a Solemn Service and "Te Deum" were celebrated in the church of St. John.peer-reviewe

The Malta plague epidemic of 1675 - 1676

The plague epidemic in Malta began on the 24th December 1675. A description of how it started is provided. Health precautions were taken, Plague Commissioners were appointed and a tribunal met in the Chancellery twice daily. The virulence of the disease increased rapidly so that even men commissioned to combat the disease contacted the infection and died of it. The number of Public Health Officers and isolation hospitals was doubled, and all suspected houses were closed. Doctors who willingly or through negligence failed to report cases were severely punished. A number of gallows were erected to deal with people who disobeyed orders. To set an example three men were hanged. Further rigorous measures were taken and the plague was proving to be a very heavy burden on the community. The use of Holy Water was prohibited, and gatherings in churches, squares, hotels and streets were made illegal. Meanwhile, Mdina and Gozo remained free from the disease. A table showing the number of deaths in particular cities and villages is provided. In addition, another table showing the number of “illustrious persons” who died of the plague is presented. On the 24th September, 1676 the final disappearance of the plague was publicly celebrated by the firing of guns and the ringing of bells.peer-reviewe