Where did the idea of quarantine come from?

Add caption

Because the corona virus has spread around the world, we have been told if we have recently returned from a part of the world where the virus is spreading rapidly, or if we have unknowingly come in contact with an infected person. If you come, stay in quarantine. To understand the importance of isolating oneself from others during this modern epidemic, we need to look at the history of the word quarantine, traces of which date back to the Middle Ages in Europe. In the 5th century, ships arriving in the Italian city of Venice from the affected ports were kept on shore for 40 days before landing to save the coastal areas of Europe from the Black Death. This process was called 'quarantine'. Author Ant Milasovich states that in 1374, a proclamation was issued in Venice stating that all ships and passengers on the nearby island of San Lazaro would be allowed to enter the city until the Special Medical Council allowed them to enter. Will have to stop As a result, ships and passengers in some countries were discriminated against. This was the beginning of quarantine regulations in Europe. In 1377, the city council across the Adriatic in Ragusa, present-day Dubrovnik, Croatia, passed a law to curb the spread of epidemics, including all ships and merchant caravans from the affected areas, writes Milosevic. There was talk of acknowledging 30 days of loneliness. That means people from plague-affected areas will have to spend a month on a nearby island for sterilization before entering a medieval walled city.

Author Anna Bakija Konsu writes that Dubrovnik was the first Mediterranean port to separate people, animals and goods from the affected population from the affected areas by land or waterway, while Venice intercepted all ships. Which stopped trade and life in the city.

The Republican Republic imposed severe penalties and fines for those who did not comply with the 30-day quarantine. Initially the quarantine was 30 days, but eventually it was reduced to 40 days like Venice.

No one knows why the isolation period was changed from 30 to 40 days. Some people say that 30 days was considered insufficient to prevent the spread of the disease, because the exact duration of incubation was not known. Others believe the 40-day quarantine was related to restrictions on the Christian religion. "After the experience of isolating leprosy patients, the idea of ​​quarantine came to the mind of the Dobrink administration," writes Bakija Konso. Throughout its history, it has been plagued by diseases such as leprosy and plague.

The concept of solitude or quarantine existed before 1377. Dobrink's law, written in 1272, mentions the isolation of leprosy patients. The law is one of the oldest written documents in Croatia.

Keja Konso added that according to the Bible, Lazarus, who was suffering from leprosy, was called the patron saint of lepers and the sanctuaries were named after him and he was called Lazaritus. After Ragusa established Europe's first temporary plague hospital on the island of Malget, quarantine facilities became known throughout Europe as 'Lazaritos'.

Bakeja Konsu said quarantine was first applied to a small town southeast of Dobrink and the surrounding islands after Ragsa's 1377 isolation legislation. Initially, quarantine accommodation was in shabby huts, tents and sometimes in the open air.

The advantage of huts was that they could be easily burnt down as a disinfection measure. In 1397, a quarantine center was set up at Benedictine Monastery on the island of Milt.

Later, a modern and large hospital for infectious diseases was built on Lal Karam Island.

On February 12, 1590, the Dobrink Senate ordered that the last hospital be built at Palau, the east gate of the Old Town. Construction of the Lazarito Complex was completed in 1647, and in 1724 the Senate renamed it the City Fortress. This Lazarito continued to operate after the fall of the Dobrink Republic. It is not known when it was abolished as a medical center, but according to Dubrovnik archeological records, it was built around 1872. This impressive stone building not only represents a unique architectural complex, but also an institution that paints a vivid picture of the rich medical heritage of old Dobrovink.

Nowadays it is a tourist attraction where cultural programs, folk songs and dances are held. The building was a symbol of the city's foresight in dealing with infectious diseases centuries ago.

Ivan Djokovic, a guide who was born and raised in the same city, says he spent most of his evenings there while clubbing in Lazarus. It's like a breeze.

Lazarites, locally known as 'Lazarites' or 'Lazarites', is located about 300 meters from the stone walls of the old city. "Any disease can easily spread within the city walls, so Lazarity's facilities are divided into ten high-rise buildings in a very large area, so it is airy," he said.

The city is currently locked down due to the Corona virus and tourism, which is the lifeline of the economy, has been completely shut down since March 19.