Epidemics. 169 



had it from a very remote antiquity ; and as Avicenna 

 maintained it was endemic in Alexandria, and Lucretius 

 stamps it as a disease originating within the influence of 

 the Nile, it is, perhaps, not going too far to say that 

 Egypt is its native soil, or its constant centre and endemic 

 home. 



It was evidently spread beyond its legitimate bounds in 

 26 A.D., because the New Testament refers to the cleansing 

 of ten lepers in the land of Palestine about this period ; but 

 what is much more to the point of time, is the spread of 

 leprosy in Italy and Spain in the year 60 B.C. and onwards,* 

 before which time Pliny affirms it was never known in 

 Italy. He states it was imported from Egypt by Pompey 

 the Great. Other historians have evidently followed Pliny 

 in this matter, but it is a slight error. 



Dr. Bascome (" Opit. Cit.," page 15) says that "the 

 first appearance of leprosy in Spain coincides with its 

 introduction into Italy, after having been prevalent in the 

 army of Pompey the Great about sixty years, more or less, 

 before the coming of Christ." Again, the same writer 

 says : " Anno 60 B.C., Spain, according to the opinion of 

 several ancient and modern writers, both foreign and 

 national, was one of the countries most subjected to the 

 frightful disease of leprosy," where it has remained ever 

 since. 



Pompey was in Spain, as proconsul, from 76 to 71 B.C., 

 and after defeating Perperna he returned with his victorious 

 army to Italy. In 66 Pompey was appointed to terminate 

 the war against Mithridates, which ended in 63 B.C. In 62 

 B.C. he returned to Italy, and at once disbanded his army 

 at Brundusium. In 48 B.C. Pompey marched into Thessaly, 

 at the head of an army of 40,000 (Plutarch), and was 



* Vide Paulus ^Egineta, Vol. II., page 6, Sydenham Society's 

 Edition. 



