VOL. XXVIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 23 



A Description of the Plague in Dantzich, in the Year 1709. By Dr. Gottwald. 



N° 337, art. 10, p. 101. 



This dangerous and destructive distemper has now raged for some years, in 

 many cities, towns, and villages of Poland, where it has swept away vast num- 

 bers, and has even left some places quite desolate. It began near Pinczow or 

 Pikzow in the year 1702, soon after the unfortunate battle between the Saxons 

 and Swedes. The next year it appeared in some parts towards Cracow and 

 Russia, and had already caused a great mortality near the Hungarian moun- 

 tains, called Crapack ; till it went eastward to the upper Volhinia, and again 

 westward to Lemburg. 



In 1704 it raged very violently in these two palatinates; so that Lemburg, 

 the capital city of Russia, lost a vast number of its inhabitants, and many to 

 save their lives were obliged to fly from it. In autumn it spread in neighbour- 

 ing places, to the west and south, beginning in a village called Radymno, on 

 this side Jarislaw; and afterwards invading other places, between the rivers San 

 and Volodarora, it spread till it came towards the Samber. In 1705 it left 

 Lemburg, and went north and west to Great Poland, through Jarislaw, 

 Sieniawe, Zamose, and other adjacent places ; and continued in that part of the 

 country, as far as Posen, all that year. In 1 707 it entered the city of Warsaw, 

 where it destroyed that summer vast numbers of people. In 17O8 it came 

 nearer Polish Prussia; and broke out the latter end of August in Thorn, where it 

 continued till the beginning of the next year, and swept away great numbers. 



This approach made us (in Dantzick) very apprehensive of danger : public 

 prayers were ordered in the churches ; and the magistrates left nothing undone 

 that could tend to our common safety. Commerce and communication with 

 the infected, and even suspected places, were forbidden : no sort of merchan- 

 dise or effects that came from such places was allowed entrance, especially such 

 goods as might easily receive and retain the contagion ; as wool, raw leather, 

 furs, beds, &c. All strangers and travellers were strictly examined, and none 

 permitted to enter without sufficient proofs, that they came from healthy places. 

 All the inhabitants were cautioned neither to hold correspondence with, nor on 

 any pretence whatsoever to harbour those of infected places, or to go to them. 



These and other necessary precautions were taken, and by public edict 

 enjoined from July 11, 17O8, to February 27, 1709.* Notwithstanding all 



* This injunction should have been continued for a much longer time. A quarantine of persons 

 and goods coming from Thorn, should have been enforced for at least half a year after the cessation 

 of the epidemic in that town. Had this been done, Dantzick would probably have remained free 

 from infection. The magistrates of Dantzick were perhaps induced to discontinue so soon the salu- 

 tary restraints they had till then (Feb. 1709) imposed upon commerce, in consequence of the tempe- 

 rature of the season J but the writer of this note has shown in a tract recently published on Contagion^ 



