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Towards the end of the month of March, at first in the suburb of

the eastern gate, then in the rest of the city, deaths, attended

by singular symptoms, such as spasms, delirium, livid spots and

buboes, began to be more frequent. Sudden deaths, too, were

frequent, without any previous illness. The physicians still

perversely held out; but the magistracy were aroused. The

Tribunal of Health called on them to enforce their directions; to

raise the requisite funds for the growing expenses of the

lazaretto, as well as the helpless poor. The malady advanced

rapidly. In the lazaretto all was confusion, bad arrangement, and

anarchy. In their difficulty on this point the Tribunal had

recourse to the capuchins, and conjured the father provincial to

give them a man capable of governing this region of desolation.