The practice of a surgeon in Gozo in 1813-1815

Abstract

Among the manuscript holdings of the National Library at Valletta there is one that reflects several aspects of the health conditions of Gozo in 1813-1815. The ms. (Lib. 1432) consists of a note-book of 46 pages written on both sides of the page. The paper is so thin and the ink is so dark that at times the writing on the back shows through to the front rendering the text of variable legibility. The size of the notebook measures 21 cm by 15 cm. The leaves are bound to form a booklet but the binding is not the original one. The front and back covers are of hardboard. There is no title-page, no author's name and no indication as to how the ms. was acquired by the Library and when. The last page ends with an incomplete entry. The last complete note is dated 17 June 1815. The ms. breaks up at this point. It is not known if the ms. was continued in another book which might have long since been lost.