Plague doctor contract
Encyclopedia
A plague doctor contract was an agreement between a town's administrators and a "doctor" to treat bubonic plague
patients. These contracts are easy to find in European city archives. A plague doctor
was specifically hired by a European city or town to treat plague patients, rich or poor, in times of epidemic
s. They were especially designed for the poor that could not afford to pay. Their contractual responsibility was to treat only plague patients and no other patients. In many cases these "doctors" were either volunteers, second-rate doctors, or new young doctors starting a career. A plague doctor had to serve a long quarantine
after seeing a plague patient in his beak doctor costume
. He was regarded as a "contact" who by agreement had to live in isolation to be quarantined.
As an example of the tough negotiating that went on between plague doctors and infected European towns, there is in Pavia
an original agreement between one Giovanni de Ventura
and the city in their archives that shows a sixteen clause contract that was further amended even after originally written. Clause one originally showed 30 florins per month for pay, but later modified to be net of living expenses. Clause two was originally that the pay was to be given two months in advance, but later modified to monthly. Clause five provided originally a severance pay of two months, however modified later that to one month's pay. Clause six said the said master Giovanni shall not be bound nor held under obligation except only in attending the plague patients which was later amplified with ...the doctor must treat all patients and visit infected places as it shall be found to be necessary. Clause seven had to do with full citizenship and the original text was modified with according to how he shall behave himself.
Bernardino di Francesco Rinaldi obtained a clause in his contract when he was hired as plague doctor by the city of Volterra
in 1527 that said essentially that the city had the obligation to provide Bernardino with all and everything necessary for his life support (i.e. food, water), paying these living expenses through the city expenditures.
a plague doctor by the name of Stefano Mezzettino was noticed attending other patients without a custodian. The rule was in the plague doctor contract that a custodian must always be with the plague doctor when he visits other patients. This created much danger for the public. He was fined for his illegal act and breaking the rule of the plague doctor contract.
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
patients. These contracts are easy to find in European city archives. A plague doctor
Plague doctor
A plague doctor , was a special medical physician who saw those who had the bubonic plague. They were specifically hired by towns that had many plague victims in times of plague epidemics. Since the city was paying their salary they treated everyone, the rich and the poor...
was specifically hired by a European city or town to treat plague patients, rich or poor, in times of epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
s. They were especially designed for the poor that could not afford to pay. Their contractual responsibility was to treat only plague patients and no other patients. In many cases these "doctors" were either volunteers, second-rate doctors, or new young doctors starting a career. A plague doctor had to serve a long quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
after seeing a plague patient in his beak doctor costume
Beak doctor costume
]The plague doctor's costume was the clothing worn by a plague doctor to protect him from airborne diseases. The costume consisted of an ankle length overcoat and a bird-like beak mask often filled with sweet or strong smelling substances , along with gloves, boots, a brim hat and an outer...
. He was regarded as a "contact" who by agreement had to live in isolation to be quarantined.
Negotiations
The bargaining which always preceded the final contract often consisted of serious negotiations. For example, the town administrators of Torino in 1630 were considering the terms of an agreement requested by one Dr. Maletto to become their plague doctor. After much negotiating, they instructed their broker representatives to make a fair and prompt deal as soon as possible with this Dr. Maletto. They were told to get the best possible deal for their city, but to be careful not to lose the opportunity of hiring this plague doctor as it would be difficult to find someone else to perform these dangerous duties at such a low rate.As an example of the tough negotiating that went on between plague doctors and infected European towns, there is in Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
an original agreement between one Giovanni de Ventura
Giovanni de Ventura
Giovanni de Ventura was a municipal plague doctor for the town of Pavia. He was a certified physician from a University and had a degree.- Contract 1479 :...
and the city in their archives that shows a sixteen clause contract that was further amended even after originally written. Clause one originally showed 30 florins per month for pay, but later modified to be net of living expenses. Clause two was originally that the pay was to be given two months in advance, but later modified to monthly. Clause five provided originally a severance pay of two months, however modified later that to one month's pay. Clause six said the said master Giovanni shall not be bound nor held under obligation except only in attending the plague patients which was later amplified with ...the doctor must treat all patients and visit infected places as it shall be found to be necessary. Clause seven had to do with full citizenship and the original text was modified with according to how he shall behave himself.
Bernardino di Francesco Rinaldi obtained a clause in his contract when he was hired as plague doctor by the city of Volterra
Volterra
Volterra, known to the ancient Etruscans as Velathri, to the Romans as Volaterrae, is a town and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy.-History:...
in 1527 that said essentially that the city had the obligation to provide Bernardino with all and everything necessary for his life support (i.e. food, water), paying these living expenses through the city expenditures.
Reprimands
In 1527 in the city of PratoPrato
Prato is a city and comune in Tuscany, Italy, the capital of the Province of Prato. The city is situated at the foot of Monte Retaia , the last peak in the Calvana chain. The lowest altitude in the comune is 32 m, near the Cascine di Tavola, and the highest is the peak of Monte Cantagrillo...
a plague doctor by the name of Stefano Mezzettino was noticed attending other patients without a custodian. The rule was in the plague doctor contract that a custodian must always be with the plague doctor when he visits other patients. This created much danger for the public. He was fined for his illegal act and breaking the rule of the plague doctor contract.
Primary Sources
- TurinTurinTurin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
City Archives, Ordinals, envelope 179 - PratoPratoPrato is a city and comune in Tuscany, Italy, the capital of the Province of Prato. The city is situated at the foot of Monte Retaia , the last peak in the Calvana chain. The lowest altitude in the comune is 32 m, near the Cascine di Tavola, and the highest is the peak of Monte Cantagrillo...
City Archives, Fondo Communale 4042, c. 14v (December 13, 1527)
Secondary Sources
- Gottfried, Robert S., The black death: natural and human disaster in medieval Europe , Simon and Schuster, 1985, ISBN 0029123704
- King, Margaret L., Western civilization: a social and cultural history, Prentice Hall, 2002, ISBN 0130450073
- Miskimin, Harry A., The Medieval City, Yale University Press, 1977, ISBN 0300020813