John Paulitious (died June 1645) was Edinburgh's first plague doctor.[1][2][3] He died in June 1645 of bubonic plague within weeks of tending the sick.[3] At the time, there was a severe epidemic of this disease in Edinburgh;[1] it's believed that there were only about 60 men around to defend the city at the height of the epidemic.[4]
His successor was George Rae,[2][3][4] who was appointed on 13 June 1645.[4] He was promised an enormous sum of money ("£100 a month"[5]) for this position, as it was expected that he, too, would die before he could collect; however, Rae survived and spent ten years attempting to collect his promised payment, but it is widely believed that he died without ever receiving it.[1][4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Jules (15 July 2006). "The Plague Doctors". Edinburgh's Dark Side. Archived from the original on 18 July 2007. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Discover" (PDF). National Library of Scotland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 December 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "Brit History: Plague Doctors in British History". Anglotopia.net. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d "The Real Edinburgh Plague Doctor". Real Mary Kings Close. 24 June 2019. Archived from the original on 14 May 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ "Revealing Edinburgh's Deepest Secrets". Real Mary King's Close. 2003. Archived from the original on 29 December 2006. Retrieved 8 April 2021.