The story of the beginnings of quarantine is associated particularly 

 with the epidemiology of leprosy, pest, and syphilis. Cholera and 

 yellow fever were later considerations. The first reported prevalence 

 of yellow fever was at Bridgetown, Barbados, in 1647, the year before 

 the great pest of Habana. At this time quarantine measures had been 

 practiced against other malignant contagious diseases, a maritime quar- 

 antine station having been in operation at Venice in 1403, nearly a 

 century before the discovery of America. It was only necessary to 

 include yellow fever in the category of contagious exotic diseases and 

 apply against the malady the procedures already in vogue. The first 

 appearance of yellow fever in Europe occurred at Lisbon in 1723, and 

 is described in the article "Yellow fever in Portugal" (Bulletin No. 

 4, Yellow Fever Institute, United States Public Health and Marine- 

 Hospital Service). It was not, however, until 1821, following an 

 extensive epidemic in Spain, that quarantine was applied in Europe 

 against yellow fever. The Spanish academies were interpellated as to 

 the nature of the disease, and as a result of their replies yellow fever 

 was declared quarantinable. Inquiry in England in 1823 and 1824 was 

 followed by an act of Parliament directing quarantine against yellow 

 fever in the same way as against plague. Quarantine theory and 

 practice have from the beginning followed medical dogma. Religion, 

 astrology, and crude or false doctrines of etiology extended their 

 influence. Like most branches of practical medicine, the practice of 

 quarantine passed from the hands of priests into those of empiricists. 

 It took ages for public sanitation to establish itself on a scientific basis. 



LEPROSY AND LAND QUARANTINES. 



The first quarantines of which any mention is made in literature 

 were land quarantines used as a protection against leprosy. The 

 ancients regarded this disease as of African origin, and Lucretius 

 states positively that it first came from Egypt. In the Old Testament 

 the first indications are found of precautions taken against contagious 

 maladies. Leviticus, Numbers, and the First Book of Samuel give 

 directions for the sequestration of lepers, first in the desert, then out- 

 side the camp, and afterwards without the walls of Jerusalem. In 

 these books the inspection of persons for the detection of leprosy is 

 detailed. Persons afflicted with skin diseases were directed to present 

 themselves before the priests. An observation of each case was made, 

 and, according to minutely described symptoms, isolation of the 

 patients was ordered for a prescribed period. 



The crusaders on their arrival outside the walls of Jerusalem found 

 lazarettoes still in existence, and after taking the city from the Mussul- 

 mans sent all contagious maladies to these isolated places. The name 

 Hospital of St. Lazarus was given to the place of sequestration. 

 Returning to Europe, the members of the military expeditions brought 



