LAZARETTO, or, Lazaa-HousE, a public building, in manner of an hospital. for the reception of poor sick : or in some countries, an edifice, or sometimes it ship, appointed for persons coming from places suspected of the plague, to per form quarantine.
The name " Lazaretto," is derived from St. Lazarus, who, in the loutish calendar, is patron of lepers. Leprosy during the middle ages was a common disease in Italy and other parts of Europe, and the lepers, or persons afflicted with it, were called lazzari. Hence the term lazaretto applied to the hospitals where such persons were confined. In England similar receptacles were often called lazar-houses, or houses of lepers.
John froward, the distinguished philanthropist, whose services in the cause of humanity can never be ffirgotten, was the first who drew public attention to the state of the lazarettos on the continent. In the year 1785, lie personally inspected most of these institutions, and in his work entitled " An account of the principal Lazarettos in Europe," has given a complete exposition of the plans of the buildings, and their chief regulations. The result of this inspection was the adoption of many of the valuable suggestions made by Howard : and many a weary traveller, suffering under the annoyances of the quarantine system, has had reason to bless the name of the man who did so much to alleviate them. Although some improvements have been made since I fo ward's time, the main features of these buildings remain nearly the same. His description of those he visited, therefore, may, even at the present day, be considered a faithful one, and interesting to those who, "living at home at ease," have little idea of what it is to be in quarantine. The first lazaretto he inspected was that at Marseilles, which is situated on an elevated rock near the city, at the end of the bay, fronting the south-west, and commanding the entrance of the harbour. It is a spacious building, and its situation renders it very commodious for the purposes of trade. Within the lazaretto
is the governor's house, a chapel, in which divine service is generally performed, and a tavern, from which persons under quarantine may be supplied with necessaries. In order to prevent any communication not allowed by the regulations of the establishment, there is a double wall round the lazaretto ; and at the gate there is a hell for calling any person within this enclosure ; and by the number and other modifications of the strokes, every individual knows when he is called. At Genoa the lazaretto is situated on the sea-shore, near the city, detached from other buildings, and encompassed by a double wall. Another lazaretto, belonging to the Genoese, stands on a rising ground at Varignano, near the gulf of Spezia. At Leghorn there arc three lazarettos. At Naples, the lazaretto is very small, and is situated on a peninsula near the city. Vessels having clean bills of health, lie at the entrance of the port, near the health-office, but those with foul bills, are required to perform their quarantine at the lazaretto. At Messina, the lazaretto stands on an island near the city. The health-office at Zante, is in the city, at the water-side. The old lazaretto is distant about half a mile from the city, and situated on a rising ground near the sea. There is another, called the new lazaretto, which is appro priated to a numerous body of peasants, who pass over to the Morea, to work in harvest time ; on their return, they per form here a seven days' quarantine : and other persons perform fourteen days quarantine in the old lazaretto. The lazaretto at Corfu is finely situated on a rock surrounded with water, about a league from the city. The lazaretto of Castel Nuova, its Dalmatia, is on the shore about two miles from the city ; at the back of it there is a delightful hill, which belongs to a convent of. friars. Persons in quarantine, after a few days, are allowed to walk there, and divert themselves with shooting, &c.