A Discourse on the Plague

Concern about illness in France prompts Richard Mead to set out measures for preventing plague and limiting its spread. His discourse examines the disease's nature, the ways he believed it travelled, and precautions against infection arriving from other countries. The dedication dates from 1720, and the title page identifies this version as a corrected and enlarged ninth edition. A chapter on treatment accompanies the discussions of prevention and containment.

Mead disputes other physicians' explanations of contagion, weighs reports and experiments, and explains his reasons for recommending quarantine. He also challenges the belief that plague must return at fixed intervals, comparing the possible reach of infectious air with the spread of London's smoke. Read as a historical medical work, the book shows how disputed theories and government responsibilities shaped an early discussion of public health. Its arguments allow readers to examine the reasoning behind medical precautions in the author's period.