"Advenit, et susceptus est ad nostram infirmariam": the patients of the Vilnius Fatebenefratelli hospital in the 18th century

Founded by the Bishop of Vilnius Abraham Woyna in 1635, the Fatebenefratelli (also known as the Brothers Hospitallers of St John of God) convent and hospital operated continuously for almost 200 years. Although there are few studies devoted to the history of the Fatebenefratelli in Vilnius, focusing on the foundation, property and personal structure of the convent, little attention is paid to the patients at the hospital, regardless of the surviving rich archival material – three infirmary registration books covering most of the 18th century (in total 8914 male patient cases). The article examines these questions: the number of patients and its variations, age categories, social status and the most common diseases suffered by the patients. It also sheds some light on the non-Catholic patients, some of whom converted to Catholicism in this particular hospital. The analysis showed that the "typical" patient was a manual worker, servant or an artisan between the ages of 16 and 45, originating from nearby towns or villages. Due to mostly financial shortages, the number of patients was low till the 1750s and reached new heights in the second half of the century. The patients most usually suffered from fevers and various other internal diseases. The mortality rates in the institution reached up to 14%, significantly decreasing in the second half of the century