Author Topic: Smallpox parties and Kidnapped Women Turkey  (Read 2462 times)

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Offline Old Daffodil

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Smallpox parties and Kidnapped Women Turkey
« on: June 14, 2011, 16:03:05 PM »
I have started reading The Turkish Embassy Letters which were written by Lady Mary Wortley who was the wife of the British Ambassador in Constantinople 1716 to 1718.
She tells of how children were invited to parties during the month of September when the weather was cooling down and old ladies would be present who would open the childrens veins with a needle (just a small wound) and from a nutshell full of smallpox venom would put some into the wound with the head of the needle. They would cover the wound with a nutshell and bind it. The children would carry on playing and then about eight o'clock in the evening would start to become ill. The spots which appeared would not scar and the children would only be ill for a couple of days and then recover. Lady Mary was so impressed that she had her own young son treated this way and passed on the knowledge on returning to England.




Offline Old Daffodil

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Smallpox parties and Kidnapped Women Turkey
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2011, 16:10:32 PM »
Another letter tells of how a Spanish lady was visiting Naples and her ship was attacked by the Turkish Admiral who abducted her and took her back to Constantinople, he did not behave himself!The lady in question just resigned herself to her fate and the Admiral offered her release to her family for a ransom and they sent 4000 pounds to obtain her release. The Admiral took the money and gave it to the Spanish lady saying she also had her liberty. The lady thought about it and told the Admiral that liberty is not as important as honour and he should marry her. (Life in a convent in Spain was the probable alternative,also he was very handsome). The Admiral married her and sent the money back to her family. He never married again. He left her one of the richest widows in Constantinople. The lady in question obviously did not care to be a single woman as she promptly married the next Turkish Admiral who succeeded him.

Lady Mary's letters are a very interesting read.




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