Some notes on seventeenth-century continental hospitals.

S I R H A N S S L O A N E (1660-1753), the eminent Stuart and Georgian physician, was an avid collector of historical manuscripts, particularly those relating to all branches of medicine and the allied sciences. His collection, an original nucleus of the British Museum, remains one of the most important archives for research into the medical history ot early modern Europe. Even the voluminous documents devoted to unrelated subjects otten contain some information of relevance for the history of medicine. It is the intention of this article to draw attention to, and describe some of, these obscure items concerning the nature of continental hospitals in the seventeenth century which are hidden in otherwise non-medical works.' The sources for this information are five manuscript diaries of European travels kept by Englishmen between 1610 and 1687. Four of the documents, for the years 1610,1626,1655-8, and 1687, are anonymous. •^Another was kept by the physician Joseph Colston on his way to the University of Padua in 1641 to study medicine.^ An additional diary, written by the Catholic divine Richard Lassels (d. 1688) as his account of Lady Catherine WhetenalFs journey to Italy in 1650, contains a few references to Italian hospitals and has been included to complement the descriptions in the Sloane Manuscripts.*^ The journals were composed during grand tours and principally concern France and Italy, with one description of Malta. In all, observations on nine hospitals in five European cities were recorded. The descriptions are significant firstly for the information which they provide on these continental hospitals. This was a period of great importance for the development of modern medicine. Yet, far too little is known of this era, even concerning such basics as the ph> sical features of the hospitals or the type of care to be found there. Secondly, the diaries illustrate the nature of the medical concerns and knowledge of the Englishmen who kept the accounts. In some instances they were not especially interested in medicine. All the journals place particular emphasis upon the grandiose public and private buildings which were visited and the hospitals were included in this category, even by Colston who had professional medical interests. Nevertheless, most of the diarists provide sufficient detail to reveal a genuine concern for hospital management. In at least one case, that of the anonymous traveller of 1655-8, the writer demonstrated a keen interest in the natural sciences and intellectual concerns in general, as well as in medical matters. ̂ Moreover, the observations made could provide the basis for a useful interchange of knowledge between the institutions on the Continent and those in England. This was certainly the case with