John Paulitious (died June 1645) was Edinburgh's first plague doctor. [1] [2] [3] He died in June 1645 of bubonic plague within weeks of tending the sick. [3] At the time, there was a severe epidemic of this disease in Edinburgh; [1] it's believed that there were only about 60 men around to defend the city at the height of the epidemic. [4]
His successor was George Rae, [2] [3] [4] who was appointed on 13 June 1645. [4] He was promised an enormous sum of money ("£100 a month" [5] ) for this position, as it was expected that he, too, would die before he could collect; however, Rae survived and spent ten years attempting to collect his promised payment, but it is widely believed that he died without ever receiving it. [1] [4]