https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/21746 2026-04-13T07:21:43Z 2026-04-13T07:21:43Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/70881 2021-03-10T10:46:10Z 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Medicine maker and dispenser : the apothecary and his art in early modern Malta Abstract: On the local scene, a comprehensive study of the historical development of the pharmaceutical profession in the Maltese Islands still has to be written. This métier has been presented, for too long, as the poorer relation of the medical profession. The scant interest in the historical evolution of this profession is, in reality, self-inflicted, but it has been the convinced belief of the author, a pharmacist by profession, that extensive research can demonstrate the local social, cultural, economic and political relevance of this art and its members within Maltese society. A quest to discover and present a realistic depiction of the professional and private life of the early modern apothecary, in the Maltese Islands, became the main objective of this study. Embedded in this objective was the opportunity to focus on countless issues, which included: • Examining interrelationships between the speziale and the community, both local and beyond; • Investigating established training processes of the art of the apothecary; • Verifying strategies in the positioning, décor and contents of the apothecary’s workplace, the spezieria; • Examining the impact which each change of political regime had on services provided by the pharmaceutical profession; • Establishing expectations of society from the apothecary and other operators within the health sector; • Determining which legislative structure was in place to safeguard society from these providers, and vice versa. Archival research has been the backbone of this dissertation. This study has also been bolstered by the availability, through international digital libraries, of many primary and secondary sources. Conjointly with archival research, the studying of pharmaceutical literature dating from the period under study was an indispensable necessity, primarily to familiarise oneself with the regulations, practices and opinions of speziali and authors mainly from such countries as Sicily and other Italian states. Moreover, in neighbouring countries, such as Italy and France, there remains an active interest in researching historical aspects of pharmacy. The similarity between scenarios in Malta, and in these countries, was a recurring theme which was explored in this research. The archival documentation which has been examined for this dissertation has been mainly written down in the Italian and Latin languages, with some documents written in French and Spanish. In many instances, names of persons, titles and nomenclature of pharmaceutical preparations appear spelt in different forms, even in the same language. This issue is seen with the Italian words aromatario and speziale, which were the two most frequently used titles for an apothecary in the Maltese Islands during the period under study. Different orthographic versions of these words have been found in documents. When it was deemed appropriate, and in order to offer a certain amount of consistency, the most commonly spelt name or word has been used. Moreover, since the most commonly used language within the examined documentation was Italian, it was decided to favour the Italianised version of names and titles. Use has been made of various forms of unlikely sources, such as poems, paintings and cartoons, to illustrate the perception of the profession by contemporary society. These references assist in eliciting an empathy and understanding of the apothecary’s way of life which the narrative of this study may not always be able to convey. Description: PH.D.HISTORY

2017-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/70831 2021-03-10T10:44:09Z 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Malta's trade with the eastern Mediterranean 1770–1820 Abstract: The present dissertation consists of five chapters and a general conclusion. The first chapter lays out and examines the context of Maltese maritime historiography; it establishes the chronological and geographical boundaries of the study, describes and evaluates the primary sources, and explains the methodology. Malta and its port are parts of a much vaster whole – the Mediterranean world. As such they cannot be adequately understood unless they are placed firmly within the wider context. Chapter II does precisely that. It provides the wider canvas as it were, on which the details of the subsequent chapters are drawn. The international Mediterranean context is provided and closely followed by the perspective from Malta. The period under discussion was tumultuous not only on the international stage but also on the local one. Against the tumultuous backdrop of the French and Napoleonic wars three different dominions held Malta and the inevitable changes and continuities that ensued forged the history of the archipelago in the Middle Sea. In chapter III two chronological periods are identified (the decades spanning the end of the eighteenth century forming one period – Period A, while the opening years of the nineteenth century making up another – Period B), five maritime areas are delimited, ports of origin identified and grouped, and sailing routes analysed. The intensity of sea-borne traffic from the different maritime areas is analysed as are the types of voyages undertaken and the sea routes used. The impact of the weather on the sailing dynamic is also discussed. Chapter IV focuses on the fleets, and endeavours to explore the attributes of the ships, captains, passengers, crew and cargo that from the eastern destinations were finding themselves in Malta. It further explores the pattern of trade and analyses the frequency with which ships and their captains found themselves in the port of Malta. Plague and eastern maritime trade were inextricably entwined. Chapter V examines the impact of the fatal disease on the maritime dynamic. A narrative of how Mediterranean port cities fought this frightening scourge is complemented with an analysis of the quarantine and lazaretto setup in Malta. An analysis of the contents of the ships’ bill of health reveals several interesting elements. The last year under consideration, 1820, is a problematic year for reasons that will be elucidated below, and will be discussed separately at the end of the chapter. A general conclusion proposing some answers to the questions posed in the introduction together with suggestions for further research wraps up the thesis. The originality of this work lies in the detailed analysis of the QR as a source of Mediterranean maritime history, and in the uncovering of patterns during two contiguous yet distinct periods of Maltese history – in showing the movements of ships between the myriad nodes on the vast eastern Mediterranean shores and Malta and in bringing the actors – the ships and the men of the sea — into the limelight. The juxtaposition of the two periods creates a greater clarity in the continuities and changes of the patterns revealed. At this stage the aim of this work is to expose the patterns of shipping that enmeshed the port of Malta with the eastern Mediterranean. Description: PH.D.HISTORY

2017-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/28077 2018-03-23T07:29:37Z 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: William Stevens : an English notary and entrepreneur in early nineteenth century Malta Abstract: While much has been written about the changing administration of Malta during the early nineteenth century, little has been written about the Britons who arrived, worked and settled in Malta during this time. This thesis aims to look at one British man, William Stevens, who arrived in the first few years of British administration, who became a notary, married a Maltese woman and raised a large family here. Why did he come to Malta and what were his reasons for staying? Were these reasons economic or personal, or a combination? As a notary, William Stevens left a formidable quantity of paperwork including notarial deeds, letters, drafts of letters and notes which reflect his clients‟ lives as well as his own. His own career was multi-faceted; in addition to his notarial practice he was a solicitor, a theatre manager and consul, as well as running a domestic staff agency and a money-lender. The first chapter looks at this part of his life, while the second looks in detail at the court case in which he became embroiled. The case shows how Britons were legally treated in Malta; even though it was by now a British colony, they were subject to Maltese law and its implications. The following chapter reviews William and Giovanna Stevens‟ large family of fifteen children. Typically for the time, the sons‟ lives are more traceable, having careers which reflect the international reach of the family, showing adaptability and determination. Finally, a more analytical review of William Stevens‟ notarial volume dating from 1818-1821 shows the working of the commercial community with an emphasis on British and European traders in Malta who were keen to work with a notary who could operate in English as well as Italian. This thesis does not seek to assess British colonial policies nor the Maltese quest for self-government in the early nineteenth century, but seeks to evaluate the socio-economic factors, as well as the personal issues that affected the life and career of William Stevens in nineteenth century Malta. Description: M.A.HISTORY

2017-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/25439 2018-01-05T02:15:33Z 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Italian irredentism in Malta from the British, Italian, and Maltese perspectives : 1922-1943 Abstract: By examining the phenomenon of irredentism as one of the driving forces of resistance, this study will first introduce the contextual space forged for an Italianate nationalism by British colonialism, and will then look at the Maltese experience of the Risorgimento and how this coloured the interwar period. It shall then see how irredentism was heightened by a colonial inter-imperial contest taking shape in the Mediterranean, reaching its height at a time of unstable Anglo-Italian currents through the 20s and 30s, and how it figured into the understanding of self and patria, finally converging, by the 40s, with the escalation of repression in the face of crisis. Description: B.A.(HONS)HISTORY

2017-01-01T00:00:00Z