International Leprosy Association -
History of Leprosy

  • International Leprosy Association -
    History of Leprosy

    Database

    Grand Priory of the Maltese Islands

    Location

    Category Leprosy Organisation
    Organization Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem [Malta Obedience]
    Country Malta
    URL http://www.stlazarusmalta.org/

    Notes

    These records relating to leprosy in Malta have been compiled by C Savona-Ventura and published by the Grand Priory of the Maltese Islands, The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem [Malta Obedience], Malta.

     A: Archives – Manuscript sources

    • Archives of the Dominican Priory, Rabat ( Malta): De statu trium conventum. Parte I, f.129t, 188. [describes the first reported case of leprosy in Malta involving a Dominican friar who died in the Rabat convent at Malta in 1629]
    • National Malta Library [NML]: Commissione perche provedesse ai poveri affetti dal terribile morbo della lebra. Liber Concilium Archives of the Order of Malta [AOM] 121, f.53
    • NML: AOM 262, f.97, 141.
    • G. Demarco: Tractatus affectuumcutaneorumNML Manuscript 36, 1764, n.p. [contains a chapter on leprosy].
    • NML: Manuscript 1146bis, f.74, 1770-72 [contemporary diary reports the occurrence of leprosy in a nun in the Monastery of St. Catherine in Valletta, Malta; and the arrival to Malta of the son of a Turkish high official on his way to Montpellier to seek a cure].

    B: Published Case reports

    • G. Gulia: Sopra un caso di Lebbra dei Greci. Il Barth, 29 th January 1874, 3(19):p.372-377
    • I. Sammut: Le Lebbre dei Greci. Il Barth, 4 th April 1874, 3(20):p.399
    • Contagiosita` della elefantiasi dei Greci. Il Barth, 6 th August 1874, 3(21-22):p.442

    C: Government Commissioned Reports – Legal enactments

    • Report on Leprosy by the Royal College of Physicians prepared for Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for the Colonies, with an Appendix. London, 1867. Il Barth, 6 th August 1874, 3(21-22):p.424-427
    • Reports on Leprosy in Malta by a Committee appointed by H.E. the Governor in 1917. Final Report . Government Printing Office, Malta, 1919
    • Ordinance XX of 1919: To make provisions with respect to the disease commonly known as leprosy . The Lepers Ordinance Chapter 73 of the Revised Edition. Eventually amended by Act. XV of 1929, Ord. XXV of 1939, Ord. XVI of 1942, and mostly repealed by Act XI of 1953

    D: Leprosaria Reports – St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, Malta and Sacred Heart Hospital, Gozo

    • Office of Charitable Institutions: Reports on the Workings of Government Departments during the financial years 1900-1936. Government Printing Office, Malta, 1901-1937, annual reports
    • Department of Health: Annual Reports on the Health Conditions of the Maltese Islands and on the work of the Medical and Health Department for the years 1937-1971. Department of Health, Malta, 1938-1972, annual reports
    • L. Farrer-Brown, H. Boldero, J.B. Oldham: Report of the Medical Services Commission. Central Office of Information, Malta, 1957, p.24

    E: Folklore

    • G. Despott: The Reptiles of the Maltese Islands. The Zoologist, 1915, 891:p.322. [describes the folklore belief that geckoes transmitted leprosy].

    F: Overall Reviews

    • J. Bugeja: Leprosy in Malta. Reports on the working of Government departments during the financial year 1930-31. Government Printing Office, Malta, 1932, R:p.17-30
    • J. Galea, E. Bonnici: Leprosy in Malta. Leprosy Review, 1957, 28(4):p.139-147
    • P. Cassar: Leprosy. In: The Medical History of Malta. Wellcome Historical Medical Library, London, 1964, p.210-217
    • C. Savona-Ventura: Hansen's Disease in Malta. The Sunday Times ( Malta), 29 th January 1995, p.32-33
    • C. Savona-Ventura: Leprosy. In: Contemporary Medicine in Malta [1798-1979]. Publishers Enterprises Group Ltd, Malta, 2005, p.79-82

    G: Leprosy Eradication Project of Malta

    • A. Agius-Ferrante, G. Depasquale, E. Bonnici, C. Paris, W. Grima: The leprosy eradication-project of Malta. Z Tropenmed Parasitol., 1973, 24:Suppl 1:p.49-52.
    • G. Depasquale: The Leprosy Eradication Programme of Malta. Leprosy Review, 1975, 46 (Suppl. 2):p.215-217
    • G. Depasquale: Rifampicin and isoprodian in combination in the treatment of leprosy. Leprosy Review, 1975, 46 (Suppl. 2):p.179-180
    • E. Freerksen, M. Rosenfeld: Leprosy eradication project of Malta. First published report after 5 years running. Chemotherapy, 1977, 23(5):p.356-386.
    • W.H. Jopling, M.J. Ridley, E. Bonnici, G. Depasquale: A follow-up investigation of the Malta-Project. Leprosy Review, 1984, 55(3):p.247-253.
    • D.L. Leiker: First assessment of the Malta Leprosy Eradication Project. Leprosy Review, 1986, 57 (Suppl 3):p.42-46.
    • D.L. Leiker: On the epidemiology of leprosy in Malta. Leprosy Review, 1986, 57 Suppl 3:p.38-41.
    • G. Depasquale: The Malta experience. Isoprodian-rifampicin combination treatment for leprosy. Leprosy Review, 1986, 57 (Suppl. 3):p.29-37.
    • W.H. Jopling: A report on two follow-up investigations of the Malta-Project. Leprosy Review, 1986, 57 (Suppl 3):p.47-52.
    • D. Vella Briffa: 'Eradication' of leprosy from Malta. Leprosy Review, 1987, 58(1):p.87-89.
    • E. Freerksen, M. Rosenfeld, G. Despasquale, E. Bonnici: [The Malta project (a program for the eradication of leprosy)]. Acta Leprol., 1988, 6(5):p.7-46.
    • T.A. Reed: Leprosy beyond the year 2000. Lancet, 1998, 351(9104):p.757.
    • E. Freerksen, M. Rosenfeld, G. Depasquale, E. Bonnici, P. Gatt: The Malta Project--a country freed itself of leprosy. A 27-year progress study (1972-1999) of the first successful eradication of leprosy. Chemotherapy, 2001, 47(5):p.309-331

    Entry made March 21, 2006

    Contact

    Name Dr Charles Savona-Ventura
    Organization Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem [Malta Obiedience]
    Address c/o 7 NorthWynds, Triq Antonio Zammit, Gharghur NXR08, MALTA
    Telephone -21435040
    Email charles.savona-ventura@um.edu.mt

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