THE PATIENTS

The hospital prioritised those who could not yet or could no longer live independently. It took in orphans as well as infants abandoned by their parents. Care was often rudimentary and children frequently died of infectious diseases or malnutrition. Depending on where they were from, the elderly were permitted to see out their lives at the institution, as were the sick and disabled.

Most adults made use of the hospital’s services too. Non-contagious patients who lived or worked in the town were also admitted. But pregnant women were not, for fear they would be tempted to abandon their babies. Many infectious diseases, such as smallpox, tuberculosis and venereal diseases, were also treated. Sufferers were often isolated in special quarters. As a general rule, those with incurable health problems were not accepted. However, the “rabid”, those suffering from rabies, were tolerated.

And soldiers were also taken in at certain periods. They would be treated for infections after being injured during combat or, as a last resort, would undergo amputations.

The hospital continued to offer “passing” accommodation, in other words, it took in pilgrims, beggars, rovers and migrants looking for work, for one or two nights.