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On 28th July, 1800 Parliament passed an act for erecting a lazaret on Chetney Hill, Kent,
which I will describe later.
Beginning 10th October 1806, the signal from an infected vessel must be by day a yellow and
and black flag and fly by night two lanterns one above the other. It was not till 181 I that the death
penalty was abolished as a penalty for quarantine offences. The notion of specific contagion for
epidemic diseases on which quarantine was based was challenged as originating in ignorant and
credulous times and without adequate foundation. In 244 years, 140 without quarantine, no disease
had been imported into England by ships, persons or goods. Were the plague contagious quarantine
could not in every instance have kept it out.
The contagionist theory of "susceptible persons, susceptible goods, susceptible seasons,
susceptible countries" and the belief that the plague possessed the faculties of self-operation,
sleeping, walking, resuscitative with many other properties equally marvellous were equally
absurd. It was claimed by the antagonists that the laws increased sickness, mortality and fear,
impeded science, produced immorality, obstructed commerce, navigation and travel, cost £200,000
a year, was "anti-commercial, anti-social and anti-Christian".
On the other side, it was said that Parliament should run no risks until a sponger case was
made. One of a certain Dr. Maclean's opponents was astonished to find that his wild theories
were again to be broached. Although the manner of introducing plague was not always traceable
it was too much to be called upon to believe that Dr. Maclean when shut up in the plaguehospital
at Constantinople was "infected by the southwest wind". All the doctors authorities "thefable of
the Council of Trent included" were to be found in pamphlets distributed against the Government's
quarantine policy in 1721. One stout anti-contagionist, the most zealous of Maclean's medical
coadjutors, had exemplified the soundness of his theory "by catching a non-contagious fever and
communicating it to four individuals who nursed him in succession."
A General Robert Wilson attributed the plague to wholly atmospheric influences, denied that
clothes carry infection and insisted that government allay fear by freeing the enforcement of
quarantine. Robert Peel queried why, if atmospheric influences causes the plague an army division
passing through an infected village didn't succumb Wilson replied that plague acted mostmysteriously
and people in motion in contrast to stationary persons seldom took it. Jospeh Hume
affirmed that quarantine principles were incorrect and emphasised the differing opinions of physicians.
The Statute was passed in 1824. Although England abolished plague quarantine in 1841
this statute was to remain in force. The government did not practice strict enforcement but the
law sanctioned restrictions on goods and persons likely to convey infection. Subsequent acts
conferred further powers and the Public Health Act 1875 in its essential character did not differ
and consolidated these. Medical opinion inclined strongly against quarantine during the middle
years of the century — yellow fever, cholera, plague, typhus, being appraised as non-contagiaus.
But by 1878 the tide was turning and the idea of quarantine once more in good standing.
Lessons seen here are — the threat and awareness of disease, the steady penetration of the
state into lives of its subjects, thestress of public welfare over private right and the progress of
investigation and reasoned opposition.
Hospitals
As well as the individual practitioners of medicine what about the Hospitals associated
with the Thames? They are so numerous, like the Tropical Hospital and in particular its predecessor
near Greenwich or the present Seamen's Hospital at Greenwich. I am sure the local
libraries of Barking and Bermondsey or Erith etc, would have a wealth of interesting and valuable
material. St. Thomas's and Millbank and Guy's and so on. Then there are the naval aspects of
medicine associated with Greenwich and Chatham. This would prove too extensive so I will make
mention of but two "hospitals" both associated with the public health aspect of medicine.
The first is the one and only true lazaret in connection with International Quarantine which
was built in England. It was the Chetney Hill Lazaret. Building commenced in 1801 and it was
demolished in 1816. It cost nearly £| million at today's money values but was never finished
nor fully used. In the 18th century countries tried to protect themselves from bubonic plague
by Quarantine as I have described. This was done at ports and frontiers in buildings called
lazarets or lazarettoes after Lazarus the leper.
The Quarantine Station for London was originally in the Thames. In 1709 was moved to
StangateCreek in marshes near the mouth of theMedway inhabited only by a few oysterfishermen...
No lazaret was built. Passengers remained on ship and merchandise was aired on the river bank.
By 1750 this became inadequate. Cotton imports from Egypt had increased, "foul Bills" were
more common and English merchants complained that the French and Italians were over-charging
for the use of their lazarets. They demanded an English lazaret. In 1752 the Admiralty selected