I found the feature entitled ‘Maltese islands devastated by a deadly epidemic 200 years ago’ (The Sunday Times of Malta, May 19) by Fabian Mangion most interesting from an unusual historical perspective.

Some years ago I purchased an old print in London precisely on this subject, clearly validating the point in the article that severe measures were introduced to restrict as much as possible the spread of the plague.

The above print shows two armed persons, presumably law enforcement officials, one aiming a musket at what appears to be a cat seeking to get away and another exhibiting a pistol making it abundantly clear to the carriers of the corpses of the victims that they had to do their job to the full.