The Plague at Marseilles Consider'd With Remarks Upon the Plague in General, Shewing Its Cause and Nature of Infection, with Necessary Precautions to Prevent the Speading of That Direful Distemper

This early‑18th‑century pamphlet offers a vivid, first‑hand account of the devastating plague that swept through the southern French port of Marseilles in 1720. Drawing on reports sent by physicians stationed in the city and nearby Aix, the author details the frightening symptoms—high fevers, painful buboes, delirium, and rapid death—that terrified residents and overwhelmed hospitals. Interwoven with these observations are reflections on the nature of contagion, presenting the prevailing scientific ideas about how disease spreads.

Beyond the grim description of sickness, the work proposes practical steps to curb the epidemic, from sanitation measures to quarantining the afflicted, and praises the civic leaders who organized burial, burning of contaminated goods, and the establishment of temporary hospitals. Written as a public service to Britain, it also includes a respectful address to Sir Isaac Newton, signaling the author's ambition to align medical practice with the emerging natural philosophy of the Royal Society. Listeners will hear a compelling blend of medical report, moral commentary, and early public‑health advocacy, preserving a sobering glimpse of a city on the brink of disaster.