Epidemics in Slovenian Istria

Abstract

In the Middle Ages, the plague raged in Slovenian Istria 10-times until 1248. In 1348 horrible plagues raged in Piran and Milje. Until 1632 every 20 years there were "plague periods", of which even up to 60—70% population died. The plague, having raged in the Koper-Commune for the last time in 1630-1632, killed about 5.000 people. But not only plagues, also malaria raged here; in Koper 300 women and children died of this disease in 1588. There are also informations on doctors, hospitals and lazarets. After Austrian occupation, at first the Marine Sanitary Service for Coastland in Trieste, after 1861, however, Regional Sanitary Committee for Austrian Coastland organized struggle against cholera. In 1855 19.263 people fell sick with cholera in Istria, 6.724 of them died. The contribution is concluded with data on scarlet fever, smallpox, different dysenteries etc.