PHARMACISTS and POLITICS in MALTA in the 18Th and 19Th CENTURIES
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
37 References DORMANDY, T. L. (I958). In Modern Trends in Gastroentero:ogy, edited by F. Avery Jones, 2n,j A:-;DREWS, L. G. (1954). Arch. Dis. Child., 29, 455. ser:es, p. 1I8. Butterworth, London. BAILEY, D. (1957), Br;t. med. J., 2, 433. JEGHERS, H., McKuSICK, V. A., and KATZ, K. H. BARTHOLOMEW, L. G., MooRE, C. E., DAHLIN, D. 1949)· New Engl. J. Med., 241, 993; 1031. C., and \\" AUGH, J. M. (1962) Surg. Gynaec. MASSIMO, L. (1959). M:ne:-va Ped., II, 1II6. Obst., II5, 1. PEUTZ, J. L. A. (1921). Nederl. Maandrschr. .. CHR1STIAENS, L., FONTAINE, G., DEFOORT, (~. Geneesk, ID, 134· (1959). Arch. Fr. Paed., 16, 963. \\'ENZL, J. E., BARTHOLOMEW, L. G., HALLENBECK, DORl>IANDY, T. L., and EDwARDs, J. H. (1956). G. A., and STICKLER, G. B. (1961). Paediatrics, Gastroentero:ogia, 86, 456. TB, 655. DORMANDY, T. L. (1957). New Engl. J. Med., 25ti, V\'ILLIAMS, J. P., and KNUDSE:-;, A. (1965). Gut, 1093. vol. 6, 2, 179. PHARMACISTS AND POLITICS IN MALTA IN THE 18th and 19th CENTURIES P. CASSAR M.D., B.Sc., (MALTA), D.P.M., F.R.HIST.S. Consultant Psychiatrist Health Department Teacher in C,/inical Psychiatry Royal University of Malta. The autocratic rulers of the Order of one time teacher of matnematics to the st. John of Jerusalem allowed no overt pages of the Grand Master, together with political activity during the two-and-a-half a priest from Floriana, Don Gaetano Man centuries of their domain over the Maltese narino, assembled in the vicinity of the Islands. Signs of unrest first occurred in church of St. Publius with four hundred 1560 when a number of citizens met followers. The pretext was that of render secretly and drew up a petition to Philip ing thanks to the Almighty by Don II, King of Spain, to whom they appealed Gaetano Mannarino for the recovery of his to induce Grand Master Jean de la Valette brother from a very grave illness but in to respect their political rights and pri reality the intention was to take posses vileges among which was the question of sion of Valletta. The projected rising was, the imposition of taxes. The author of the however, called off at the last moment document was, allegedly, Dr. Joseph when the leaders learned that the govern Callus, the first Maltese physcian known ment had got wind of the whole affair and to us, who was arrested with his collabor taken the security measures that the ators, condemned to death and hanged situation called for (Laferla, 1926). (Cassar, 1965). Among the conspirators there were a No other political stirrings on the physician from Valletta, who remains part of the Maltese came to ruffle the anonymous, and who lived in Floriana but regime of the Knights of St. John until later moved to Birkirkara (Callus, 1961 a); two hundred years later when preparations and an apothecary from Floriana, Pas quale for a revolt were hatched. On the 31st Balzan. December 1772 a certain Giuseppe Zahra, We first hear of Pasquale Balzan in 38 February 1764 when he applied to the pike on St. James Cavalier on the 13th/ Grand Master for permission to run a 14th September 1775 (Callus, 1961 b). pharmacy at Floriana under the direction The next political episode in our his of "an approved and matriculated pharma tory occurred in 1798. In that year the cist". His request was granted as he had Order of St. John was expelled from Malta assured the Medical College that he would by the French under Napoleon, who do so with the assistance and under the captured the Island. direction of the pharmacist Aloisio Cocchi, The French period was brief and until he himself had finished his studies turbulent. The Maltese soon became dis and "passed the usual examination" in satisfied with the new regime and rose pharmacy. against the French whom they blockaded Balzan had begun his apprenticeship in Valletta and the three cities for two with the pharmacist Giuseppe Felici at years. The apothecary M. Falzon of the Floriana, then went to continue his studies village of Attard, who lived through those at Palermo, Naples and Rome where he confused times, complains of the "sick was examined and awarded the certificate ness, mortality, desolation, lice, debts, of pharmacist (privilegio d'aromatario) by anxieties and sadness" which he had to the thirteen pharmacists and three physi contend with. He describes the state of cians composing the College of Rome, on the Island as being so chaotic as to be the 21st June 1766. On his return to Malta nothing less than una Babilonia tra tutti, in Augusi: of the same year he obtained the in tutto e per tutto (a Babel among us all, licence to exercise his profession and keep in everything and everywhere). He not a pharmacy in Floriana in his own name only had to bear the brunt of personal (Archives 1190 and 1191, RML). tragedy through the loss of his brother A second attempt at a rebellion was and of his wife and the ruin of his business made in 1775. Pas quale Balzan with an un but also suffered poltical persecution at named pharmacist from the Holy Infirmary the hands of the French and their partisans again appears among the followers of Don (Ms. 756, RML). He has left us no detailed Gaetano Mannarino during the so-called , records of this persecution but we possess "Rising of the Priests" who demanded the other documents relating to similar restoradon of national privileges and a charges which another colleague had to reduction in the price of bread. Pas quale face at this period. Balzan, with a handful of men, succeeded He was the pharmacist Francesco in taking possession of St. James Cavalier Pisani, the owner of a pharmacy in Strada in Valletta, while Mannarino with another Reale, Senglea. The informers against group of insurgents captured Fort St. Pis ani described his pharmacy as a "club" Elmo. The uprising was quickly quelled by where persons met during the night in the Grand Master and Knights of St. John. summer "to disturb the neighbours with Pasquale Balzan was arrested and im the playing of musical instrumeni:s and prisoned in the Castellania (now the office singing". The place was also the resort of of the Health Department) and charged priests, disgruntled French officers, "bad with high treason, but a legal point characters and many discontented and un cropped up with regard to the court bridled youths". In this "club", Pis ani was procedures. alleged to have plotted, together with the Balzan, besides being a pharmacist, physicians Michele Adriano, Giovanni was also a oleric. Having received minor Bruno and Gaetano Pisani, to assassinate orders, he enjoyed ecclesiastical immunity General Vaubois and oust the French from and could not, therefore, be prosecuted by Malta. These conspirators were said to the Civil Tribunals. The Grand Master, . have planned to send a Maltese boat in however, refused to hand him over to the search of the British naval units that were Episcopal Court for trial and ordered his cruising in the vicinity of the Island to execution with the other rebels. Balzan invite them to enter our ports on the 10th was strangled to death in the Castellania, August 1798. The sight of the British Fleet and beheaded. His head was impaled on a was to serve as a signal for an armed 39 revolt against the French. The ultimate transfer of the sovereignity of Malta to aim of the conspirators was to set up a Great Britain. new independent republic. For his services during the blockade Francesco Pisani and Michael Adriano he was awarded the Patria liberata gold were arrested and submitted to trial. Both medal by Sir Alexander Ball and also a of them protested their innocence of the scroll testifying to his zeal and bravery in charges brought up against them. They the defence of the Island. After retiring were not only pro-French but they were from public life owing to ill health (Stel proud of being members of the National lini, 1962 a), he went back to his phar Guard (Archivio Corte Civile, Malta). Un macy but did not cease to take an active fortunately we do not know how this trial interest in the social and political life of ended and what happened to Pis ani and his village. Indeed between 1801 and 1803 Adriano as the records of the legal pro he was engaged in defending the rights of ceedings are incomplete. It appears, how the people of Qormi against the auto ever, that they escaped a judicial death as cratic administration of the Luogotenente their names have not been traced in the Manwel Gellel. Gatt died on the 4th March Registers of Deaths of the Parish Church 1811 (Cardona, 1952). His pharmacy of Senglea (Burlo', 1963). passed into the hands of the apothecary More is known about another phar Giorgio Galdes whose father had married macist wh.o has left his imprint on the a Gatt. This pharmacy was still in existence history of this epoch. He was Stanislaus at No. 1 St. Catherine Street, Qormi, until Gatt who at first accepted public office about 1853 (Stellini, 1962 b). under the French but later turned against Politics again obtruded themselves in them. Born about 1744, he studied phar to the life of apothecaries towards· the macy at the Holy Infirmary of Valletta. mid-century when some of the pharmacaies After qualifying in 1770 he set up in prac of Valletta came very prominently in the' tice at Qormi, having bought the phar public eye.