I CANNOT but take Notice, that the _Plague_ was stopp'd at _Marseilles_
a full Fortnight by the same Measures, and probably might have been
wholly extinguished, had not new Force been given it by the unseasonable
Confidence of the Inhabitants upon this Intermission: which, we are
informed, was so great, that they would not believe the _Pestilence_ had
been at all among them, and publickly upbraided the Physicians and
Surgeons for frighting them causlesly[82]. At this Time, no doubt, they
must have neglected the Cautions necessary for their Security so much,
as to leave us no room to be surprized, that the Disease should after
this break out again with too great Violence to be a second Time
overcome.
BUT, besides these Examples in foreign Countries, we have one Instance
of the same Nature nearer Home. When the _Plague_ was last here in
_England_, upon its first Entrance into _Poole_ in _Dorsetshire_, the
Magistrates immediately suppress'd it, by removing the _Sick_ into
_Pest-Houses_, without the Town, as is well remember'd there to this
Time. A very remarkable Occurrence has greatly contributed towards
preserving all the Circumstances of this Transaction in Memory. They
found some Difficulty in procuring any one to attend upon the _Sick_
after their Removal: which obliged the Town to engage a _young Woman_,
then under Sentence of Death, in that Service, on a Promise to use
their Interest for obtaining her Pardon. The young Woman escaped the
Disease, but neglecting to solicite the Corporation for the
Accomplishment of their Engagement with her, three or four Months after
she was barbarously hanged by the _Mayor_ upon a Quarrel between them.
I WOULD have it here observed, that as the Advice I have been giving is
founded upon this Principle, that the best Method for stopping
Infection, is to separate the _Healthy_ from the _Diseased_; so in small
Towns and Villages, where it is practicable, if the _Sound_ remove
themselves into _Barracks_, or the like airy Habitations, it may
probably be even more useful, than to remove the _Sick_. This Method has
been found beneficial in _France_ after all others have failed. But the
Success of this proves the Method of _Removing the Sick_, where this
other cannot be practised, to be the most proper of any.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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