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Venetian leaders considered biological warfare during 17th century siege
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Recent research data published in Emerging Infectious Diseases details efforts by 17th century Venetian leadership to spread Yersinia pestis throughout Ottoman siege camps and discusses implementation flaws that may have hampered its success.
Researchers from the Athens Medical School, University of Athens, examined archived letters between the Venetian State ruling council, espionage agency and the governor of a nearby Venation holding on the Dalmatian Coast sent between Feb. 5, 1649 and Aug. 3, 1651. Their correspondence centered on a plan proposed by the governor to end an ongoing Ottoman blockage of the city of Candia (now Heraklion, Greece). The governor had found a doctor who could distill a liquid concoction containing Y. pestis, and suggested spreading the disease throughout Ottoman camps.
“Now there is here a good subject of Venice, lately appointed doctor, who besides his skill in healing is also a famous distiller,” the governor wrote. “I explained my wishes to him, and he availed himself of the presence here of the plague to distil a liquid expressed from the spleen, the buboes and carbuncles of the plague stricken; and this, when mixed with other ingredients, will have the power wherever it is scattered to slay any number of persons, for it is the quintessence of plague.”
The governor suggested brushing the mixture over Albanian fez or other cloth goods favored by the Ottomans and spreading the disease, not only among camps surrounding the city, but within several Ottoman encampments spread throughout the island of Crete. The researchers wrote that this effort to emulate a true epidemic and avert suspicion reflected the frequency of plague outbreaks and previous experience using chemical or biological agents for military purposes.
The researchers also noted the ethical debate presented alongside the proposal, which was quickly dismissed by the governor and the Venetian leaders.
“[The proposition] is, however, a violent course, unusual and perhaps not admitted by public morality,” the governor wrote. “But desperate cases call for violent remedies, and in the case of the Turks, enemies by faith, treacherous by nature, who have always betrayed your Excellencies, in my humble opinion, the ordinary considerations have no weight.”
The plan was pursued by the Venetians, who quarantined the doctor and his “jar of quintessence” in a jail cell for approximately 2 years while preparing to launch the naval assault in which the disease would be transported, according to the letters. While correspondence concerning the plan abruptly ended in 1651 with no suggestion as to whether it was eventually carried out, the researchers wrote that the transmission methodology proposed by the governor would be ineffective in spreading plague among the soldiers. Previous data suggests that Y. pestis is unable to survive more than 72 hours on manufactured surfaces, they wrote, and that bacteria collected from dead host tissues and kept for a long period of time at ambient temperatures would not have remained viable.
According to the researchers, the flawed proposal and extensive quarantines central in this case provide insight into infectious disease knowledge of the era. Instructions to Venetian men to cover their noses and mouths with sponges soaked in vinegar evoke the flawed miasmatic air theory that persisted until the 19th century, and the decision to wait through the winter before attempting transmission demonstrates then-current medical belief that plague was a disease of heat and summer. However, it also serves as a historical warning to present-day emergency response authorities of the threats of biological warfare, they wrote.
“The core of the story is not whether ‘the quintessence of the plague’ would have been effective, but the concept of mass destruction through biologic agents,” the researchers wrote. “In particular, it raises the problem that biological weapons can be used in the name of religious faith, motivated by a deep fanaticism. Unfortunately, throughout history, those driven by this impetus have caused numerous crimes against innocent persons. Such examples prove the need for control and preparedness to ensure national and international safety.” – by Dave Muoio
Disclosure: Infectious Disease News was unable to determine relevant financial disclosures at the time of publication.
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