1 62 Epidemics. 



former visitation in Northern and Mid-Europe, but for 

 vaccination. 



There appears to be no authentic record of this disease 

 passing further north than the Apennines and the Pyrenees 

 from 1170 to 1174, which is not far off the hypothecated 

 time of 1177, the assigned date or period for fresh epidemic 

 outbreaks. 



Leprosy is a chronic disease, and, as an endemic or 

 epidemic disease, it never creates the same amount of fear 

 and dread from its destructive powers, as diseases of more 

 active and rapidly fatal tendencies. Its popularity, and the 

 interest taken in it generally, arises more from the general 

 abhorrence mankind have to all mutilations and diseases of 

 the skin; there is no disease of the skin which creates 

 more intense disgust, and about which infection is more 

 entirely dreaded, than pertains to the cutaneous and con- 

 stitutional disease called by the Greeks elephantiasis, and 

 by the Latins lepra, or in modern times leprosy. 



Its fatality does not appear to have been great at any 

 period of history, and many of its victims linger on, an 

 eye-sore to their friends and a burden to themselves. The 

 leper, from being a nuisance to society, has become a trouble 

 to the State, and Dr. Bascome informs us that so early as 

 1237 leprosy was a matter of legislature in England ; and 

 certain it is that immediately after the crusade under 

 Richard the First, and known in history as the Third 

 Crusade, leprosy was very common in this country and in 

 France, which would be about the year 1190. It does not 

 appear that the First Crusade of 1095 to 1099, under 

 Godfrey de Bouillon, brought amongst the retainers in that 

 mighty host, who returned to their native lands, the much- 

 loathed disease, leprosy. 



From the time of the Third Crusade to the end of the 

 sixteenth century, leprosy was endemic in Great Britain, 



