PHAR.MACISTS ()F, OLD (Co'lltinued) CHEV. J. BORG, K.M., Ph.C., L.P., F.R.S.H., F.I.N.T. Pet. 46. Pharmacist Joseph Portelli from compatriot Reverend Professor Mi­ Valletta, who remained known for chael Xerri of Zebbug, Malta, the his illustrious sun Gavino-:PaJtrizio ringleader Of the ~~a1tese uprising (1795-1865) Professor of .Surgery a,gainst the French rule in 1798, and and Alnatomy at the University wtho, together with his friend Dr. (22.11.1822-1838). Michaelangelo Adriano from Sen­ 47. Pna:runacist Pascal Balzan of F'l.oria­ ,glea, were the very first to conspire na on 8th February 1764. He was 1an against Napoleon's rule here, were energetic bu·t foolish man: in De­ -on 3rd August 1798, unfortunately cember 1772 he took part, along reported to the foreign rulers by with the Prof-essor of :rnathematics the rogue Si:mdrt Bezzina and ilmpri­ Dr. i?hilip Zammit, iM.D. ( 1720-1796) soned, were however released on and the district medical officer of lOth August while their neighbours VallettajFloriana in a plot against of Vittoriosa were loudly feasting the rule of the Order. As he •was also their patron St. Lawrence, but soon a cleric in minor orders not f.or love again re-arrested on the next 26th of the Church but as an easy means November and shot on 20th Feb­ to escape punishment from the ruary 1799. It is thought that his :KJni:g·hts' civil authority, he remain­ arrest was the chief reason whi·ch ed free. Three years later he was plunged his bosom. friend, the said also one of the nine ecclesiastics .Reverend IMichael, heading into thf' who took part in the so-.called "Ris­ sacred struggle for liberation, as ing of the Priests" under Reverend has fonmerly done the saintly Gaetan IMannarino of 9th .se.ptem­ French national heroine Joan of ,Arc, ber 1775 at the t~me of Grand Mas­ alias the Maid of Orleans, against ter Flra Francis Ximenes de Taxada the English dominators Of the 0773-1775). Wi:th three other com­ northern pa.rt of her country on 8th panions he oocupied St. James Ca­ May 1429. Others say that he was valier, but was soon ta:ken captive, shot on 19th February 1799 because tortured at the "Castellania", put the French found a sword in the to death by strangling, decapitated house (cf. Peti·tion of Gomm.ission of and his head, along with tihose of Public ,property made on 20th Feb­ two other accomplices, placed on ruary 1799 by his brother Michael­ poles at top of said Cavalier. No angelo and his sister Mary-Antonia more accused were killed. (cf. Arch. to ihave share of the pharmacy No. 1190, Section 461/466 and Arch. which belonged to their father Law­ No. 1191, Section 69/83 of 29th Aug­ rence, al-ong with the other bro­ ust 1766 by the Medical Couneil thers Joseph and Benedict and about h~m). o.ther sister Anne. 48. Pharmacist Francis Pisani from 49. Mr. Gajetan Mallia already mention­ Senglea (1763-20.2.1799), who was ed a,t "j'' ill group at No.45). He was married to The:res1a, the niece of from VaHetta IWhere he rema:ned, 16 when he left the Pharmaceutical 53. Pharmacist Horace Aqu:Jina was in Service at the ":Sacra Infermeria" charge of the men's section dedicat­ after 39' years there in 1979, ::luring ed to St. John of the "St. John the the French occupation. It is recorded Baptist and St. Anthony of Padua that he was ,c'hosen by the Court, FDospital'' at Rrabat, Gozo during the a:<:>n,g with others, as one of the short-lived French occupation there ,tutors of th·3 4 sons c.f Giovanna, the and where he remained for sor:ne very r:ch widow of Lorenzo Fontani r::r:ore years on the subsequent Bri­ and rWho w.as found myster.ously tish rule. dead on lr5th December rl79'9, only 54. In the year 184:9 Government esta,b­ s:x months after her second mar­ lisrhed 17 Government Dispensaries riage to the French Carp.tain Antoine besides that at Valletta, at Police Gastinel (ref. Dr Clo Testa's "Maz­ Srtations to cater for the then 23 dis­ zew,g NaY1at tas-Swar", HI, pp.652- tricts Dr. Saviour Bezzina 6r&O). M!.D., Ph.C. from Zejtun was ap­ 5::l Pharmacist Louis Gatt of Valletta, pointed to Luqa and was also res­ who in July 179r9 was banished, along ponsible for the inhabitants of Safi with 1'50 others, to Comino when the and Kirkop. They were called "Spiz­ jar u Tabib tal-Pulizija" and were Fren~h forced people to leave Val­ letta rbe:::a,use of the scarcity of food intended for the use of the poor and the country.people did not want people free of any charge. On 18th September 1885 said officials were them because of the:1· francoph]e called District .Medical O:ffi0ers. tendences (cf. Dr Te;;ta's ibidem, 55. Pharma,cist Cakedon Balda.cchinu page 550). who qualirfied in 1854 and exercised 5'1. F'harmac:st Augustine Levanz:n his profession at Luqa. (1872-1955) who was als-o a Legal 55. Pharrma<~ist Jose,ph Mama (179,3- Procurator. He led a very exciting 1865), born of Maltese parents at life here and abr-oad. He edited a A:gosta near Syracuse in Sicily but semi-politic8J paper "In-Nahla" in who grew here in Malta at Birkir­ 1908, wherein in 1910 he published kara. He studied at the Government his very lengtrhy novel "Is-Sah:flar school in Valletta and at the Uni­ Falz,un", etc. He even frasted f-or 31 versity. He served as A,ssistant-:Che­ days in America in 1912 by taking mist during the pla,gue e:9idemic absolutely no food, rwhile advocating of 1813 at Lazzaretto and La.ter at the that fasting can cure any internal rCivil Hospital having forr.11erly ob­ disease "as cats do" he used to say. tained his diploma in 1819. He wa~' In 192? he returned to Malt.a but on even chosen Professor of Chemistry accotut of poli~ical troubl~s v:hi.l'h at the University when the eccentric he cr:~ated inv.olving himself in se­ Dr. Cleardo Naudi, M.rD. of Ghaxaq_, veral court libels, he again went who had even become a methodist abroad in 1928 and died aged 83 in of Wesley, died and was stoned by Montecarlo in 1955. He was an Es­ the people on his being carried to perantist. be buried and who had been Pro­ 512. Pharmarcist lVLarianus Agius was in fessor of Chemistry fmm June 1805 charge of the pha11macy at "Santa to 1834. Pharmacist iMrumo was a Spirito" Hospital in Rabat when the member of the ''A,ccademia Gioenia French took over our Islands on di Scienza Naturali" of Gatania. lOtih June 1798. member of the '"Cabir..etto di Storia 17 Naturale" of S'yracuse and me1mber Dispensary" in :R•apublic Street, V<al­ of the local "Societa' Medica d'In­ letta opposite the Union Cl.ub or the coraggiamento". present National Archaeological 57. Pharrmac:st Anthony Emmanuel Museum. Caruana (1838-1907) from Zejtun. 61. Pharmacist Fa1brice Bol'g, who in He had st·udied at the Augustinian 1884 took over the direction of his Fathers' school in Valletta, later famous pharmacy in Republic joined the University <::md after be­ Street, Valletta, which re1:nained one cDming a phanmacist he worked of the chief medical rendezvous in with his br<)ther-in-law Dr. Andre' the city up to World War II when it Pullicino, M.[}. Later he set-up pri­ was unfortuna:tely destroyed by G·:or­ vate business, travelled widely and man bombs. was a good writer, indeed he is the 62. Pharmacist A}phonse Cha.ribon author of the fine historical novel from Birkirkara who was first in "Inez Farrug" in 1889, of a "Vocabo­ order of merit in the final exami­ lario della Lingua !Maltese" in 1903 nation in 1900. He was the nephew and of an unfinished work "Fenici e of the Canon Precentor Joseph IMaltesi". Charoon of the Birkirkara Golle­ C<8. Pharmac~st John-Baptist Busuttil .giate Parish Church. from Floriana, <who ran his phar­ 63. PharmaciS<t Saviour Speranza of macy at Msida with his brother Dr. Valletta, son of PhBxmacist Joseph Gastave who had gmduated M.D. in just mentioned. He was one of the August 1880 and who lived at No. 1, most busy chemists of Valletta dur­ Molo Ta' X!biex, Msida, because he ing the World War 1914-1918. was the District Medical Officer of 64. Pharmacist John Ma1llia from Bir­ !Msida and Pieta'. They were both <kirkara, brother of Parish Priest oi Esperantists. Later in life John­ Mosta Anthony (1859-1876) and son B::liptist opened a pharmacy ~at Nos. of Francis, and wtho exercised his 40-41, Broad Street, Hamrun. profession at the pharmacy in the 5'9. P~'larrrnacist JosetPh Speranza-Parnis tMain Square of ,Birkirkara. He was of Valletta who obtained his diplo­ ''narried and when he died he left all ma in 1855. He subsequently his :i!'u:novable property of houses worked at a pharmacy wihich he had and fields to the Collegiate Parish just set-up in !Republic 1Street Val­ Church as per his last !Wili in the letta, where the famous Dr. Acts of Notary Peter-P,aul Psaila of Nicholas Zammit IM.:D., frDm Siggie­ lth June 1855, where we find that wi, PrDfessor of Philosophy ( 1876- he alsD left 800 "scudi" for low 1890) and of Architecture ( 1878- •Masses in repose of his soul, 1 "tari" 1890) who remained f,amous for to the Governor of fMialta, 1 "tari'' to his designs of the facades of the the A<l'Chbishop-Bishop of Malta, Parish Churches of Siggiewi, St.