Epidemics and Pandemics : Their Impacts on Human History

Great pandemics have resulted in significant death tolls and major social disruption. Other "virgin soil" epidemics have struck down large percentages of populations that had no previous contact with newly introduced microbes. Written by a specialist in the history of science and medicine, the essays in this volume discuss pandemics and epidemics affecting Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, covering diseases in ancient times to the present. Each entry combines biological and social information to form a picture of the significance of epidemics that have shaped world history. The essays cover the areas of major pandemics, virgin soil epidemics, disruptive shocks, and epidemics of symbolic interest. Included are facts about what an epidemic was, where and when it occurred, how contemporaries reacted, and the unresolved historical issues remaining. This fascinating material is written at a level suitable for scholars and the general public. Hays (history, Loyola U. Chicago) Describes, In A Style Accessible To High School Students And Up, The History Of 50 Epidemics In World History, From An Unspecified Disease That Swept Through Athens In 430-427 Bc To A Number Of Epidemics Still Plaguing The World Today. Each Chapter Is Organized Into Sections Describing When And Where, Historical Significance, Background, How It Was Understood At The Time, Responses, And Unresolved Historical Issues. Each Chapter Also Includes References And Suggested Additional Readings. Also Includes Information On Aedes Aegypti, American Indians, Antibiotics, Asia, Asymptomatic Carriers, Bleeding, Blood, Burial Considerations, Children, China, Contagion, Diet, Dysentery, Economic Circumstances, Environmental Considerations, Fleas, Flies, Germ Theory, Will Of Gods, Waldemar Haffkine, Humors, Immunity, Infants, Inoculations, Islam, Edward Jenner, Robert Koch, Laws, Miasmas, Microorganisms, Migration, Military Affairs, Morality, Morbidity, Mortality, Mosquitoes, New York, Pilgrimages, Political Impact, Population Levels, Poverty, Public Health Policies, Quarantines, Race, Rehydration, Religion, Rodents, Sanitation, Slavery, Social Conditions, Syphilis, Trade Considerations, Transportation, Rural Areas, Urban Areas, Vaccinations, Venereal Diseases, Vibrio Cholerae, Virgin Soil Infection, Water Contamination, Women, World Health Organization, World War I, Yersinia Pestis, Etc. Preface -- Epidemic In Athens, 430-427 B.c.e. -- Malaria In Ancient Rome -- Plague Of The Antonines -- First Plague Pandemic, 541-747 -- Smallpox Epidemic In Japan, 735-737 -- Leprosy In Medieval Europe -- Second Plague Pandemic, 1346-1844 -- French Disease In Sixteenth-century Europe -- Epidemics In Sixteenth-century America -- Epidemics And The Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648 -- Plague In Italian Cities, 1630s -- Epidemics In China, 1640-1644 -- Plague In London, 1665 -- Smallpox In Iceland, 1707-1709 -- Plague In Marseilles, 1720-1722 -- Smallpox In Boston, 1721 -- Smallpox In Eighteenth-century Europe -- Plague In Moscow, 1771 -- Influenza Pandemic, 1781-1782 -- Yellow Fever In Hispaniola, 1793-1804 -- Yellow Fever In Philadelphia, 1793 -- First Cholera Pandemic, 1817-1824 -- Consumption In The Nineteenth Century -- Second Cholera Pandemic, 1827-1835 -- Third Cholera Pandemic, 1839-1856 -- Fevers And The Great Famine In Ireland, 1846-1850 -- Typhoid Fever In Cities, 1850-1920 -- Yellow Fever In New Orleans, 1853 -- Fourth Cholera Pandemic, 1863-1875 -- Carrion's Disease In Peru, 1870-1871 -- Smallpox In Europe, 1870-1875 -- Measles In Fiji, 1875 -- Fifth Cholera Pandemic, 1881-1896 -- Influenza Pandemic, 1889-1890 -- Cholera Epidemic In Hamburg, 1892 -- Third Plague Pandemic, 1894-? -- Sixth Cholera Pandemic, 1899-1923 -- Sleeping Sickness In East Central Africa, 1900-1905 -- Typhoid Mary's Epidemics -- Cholera Epidemic In Naples, 1910-1911 -- Poliomyelitis In The United States, 1916 -- Influenza Pandemic, 1918-1919 -- Lung Cancer In The United States, Mid-twentieth Century -- Poliomyelitis In The United States, 1945-1955 -- Seventh Cholera Pandemic, 1961-present -- Aids In The United States, 1980s -- Contemporary Aids Pandemic -- The Mad Cow Crisis And Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies, 1985-present -- Contemporary Malaria -- Contemporary Tuberculosis -- Epilogue -- Glossary. J.n. Hays. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. EPIDEMICS AND PANDEMICS......Page 2 CONTENTS......Page 6 PREFACE......Page 10 1 EPIDEMIC IN ATHENS, 430–427 B.C.E.......Page 14 2 MALARIA IN ANCIENT ROME......Page 22 3 PLAGUE OF THE ANTONINES......Page 30 4 FIRST PLAGUE PANDEMIC, 541–747......Page 36 5 SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC IN JAPAN, 735–737......Page 44 6 LEPROSY IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE......Page 48 7 SECOND PLAGUE PANDEMIC, 1346–1844......Page 54 8 “FRENCH DISEASE” IN SIXTEENTH-CENTURY EUROPE......Page 82 9 EPIDEMICS IN SIXTEENTH-CENTURY AMERICA......Page 92 10 EPIDEMICS AND THE THIRTY YEARS’ WAR, 1618–1648......Page 110 11 PLAGUE IN ITALIAN CITIES, 1630s......Page 116 12 EPIDEMICS IN CHINA, 1640–1644......Page 126 13 PLAGUE IN LONDON, 1665......Page 132 14 SMALLPOX IN ICELAND, 1707–1709......Page 144 15 PLAGUE IN MARSEILLES, 1720–1722......Page 148 16 SMALLPOX IN BOSTON, 1721......Page 156 17 SMALLPOX IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY EUROPE......Page 164 18 PLAGUE IN MOSCOW, 1771......Page 176 19 INFLUENZA PANDEMIC, 1781–1782......Page 184 20 YELLOW FEVER IN HISPANIOLA, 1793–1804......Page 190 21 YELLOW FEVER IN PHILADELPHIA, 1793......Page 198 22 FIRST CHOLERA PANDEMIC, 1817–1824......Page 206 23 CONSUMPTION IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY......Page 214 24 SECOND CHOLERA PANDEMIC, 1827–1835......Page 224 25 THIRD CHOLERA PANDEMIC, 1839–1856......Page 240 26 “FEVERS” AND THE GREAT FAMINE IN IRELAND, 1846–1850......Page 252 27 TYPHOID FEVER IN CITIES, 1850–1920......Page 262 28 YELLOW FEVER IN NEW ORLEANS, 1853......Page 272 29 FOURTH CHOLERA PANDEMIC, 1863–1875......Page 280 30 CARRIÓN’S DISEASE IN PERU, 1870–1871......Page 294 31 SMALLPOX IN EUROPE, 1870–1875......Page 300 32 MEASLES IN FIJI, 1875......Page 310 33 FIFTH CHOLERA PANDEMIC, 1881–1896......Page 316 34 INFLUENZA PANDEMIC, 1889–1890......Page 328 35 CHOLERA EPIDEMIC IN HAMBURG, 1892......Page 334 36 THIRD PLAGUE PANDEMIC, 1894–?......Page 344 37 SIXTH CHOLERA PANDEMIC, 1899–1923......Page 358 38 SLEEPING SICKNESS IN EAST CENTRAL AFRICA, 1900–1905......Page 368 39 TYPHOID MARY’S “EPIDEMICS”......Page 376 40 CHOLERA EPIDEMIC IN NAPLES, 1910–1911......Page 382 41 POLIOMYELITIS IN THE UNITED STATES, 1916......Page 390 42 INFLUENZA PANDEMIC, 1918–1919......Page 398 43 LUNG CANCER IN THE UNITED STATES, MID-TWENTIETH CENTURY......Page 410 44 POLIOMYELITIS IN THE UNITED STATES, 1945–1955......Page 424 45 SEVENTH CHOLERA PANDEMIC, 1961–PRESENT......Page 434 46 AIDS IN THE UNITED STATES, 1980s......Page 440 47 CONTEMPORARY AIDS PANDEMIC......Page 452 48 THE MAD COW CRISIS AND TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES, 1985–PRESENT......Page 462 49 CONTEMPORARY MALARIA......Page 470 50 CONTEMPORARY TUBERCULOSIS......Page 478 EPILOGUE......Page 486 SOME GENERAL BOOKS ON EPIDEMICS......Page 492 GLOSSARY......Page 494 INDEX......Page 498 ABOUT THE AUTHOR......Page 526 Preface Epidemic in Athens, 430-427 B.C Malaria in ancient Rome Plague of the antonines First plague pandemic, 541-747 Smallpox epidemic in Japan, 735-737 Leprosy in medieval Europe Second plague pandemic, 1346-1844 "French disease" in sixteenth century Europe Epidemics in sixteenth century America Epidemics and the thirty years' war, 1618-1648 Plague in Italian cities, 1630s Epidemics in China, 1640-1644 Plague in London, 1665 Smallpox in Iceland, 1707-1709 Plague in Marseilles, 1720-1722 Smallpox in Boston, 1721 Smallpox in eighteenth century Europe Plague in Moscow, 1771 Influenza pandemic, 1781-1782 Yellow fever in Hispaniola, 1793-1804 Yellow fever in Philadelphia, 1793 First cholera pandemic, 1817-1824 Consumption in the nineteenth century Second cholera pandemic, 1827-1835 Third cholera pandemic, 1839-1856 "Fevers" and the great famine in Ireland, 1846-1850 Typhoid fever in cities, 1850-1920 Yellow fever in New Orleans, 1853 Fourth cholera pandemic, 1863-1875 Carrin's disease in peru, 1870-1871 Smallpox in europe, 1870-1875 Measles in fiji, 1875 Fifth cholera pandemic, 1881-1896 Influenza pandemic, 1889-1890 Cholera epidemic in Hamburg, 1892 Third plague pandemic, 1894-? Sixth cholera pandemic, 1899-1923 Sleeping sickness in east central Africa, 1900-1905 Typhoid Mary's "epidemics" Cholera epidemic in Naples, 1910-1911 Poliomyelitis in the United States, 1916 Influenza pandemic, 1918-1919 Lung cancer in the United States, mid-twentieth century Poliomyelitis in the United States, 1945-1955 Seventh cholera pandemic, 1961-present Aids in the United States, 1980s Contemporary aids pandemic The mad cow crisis and transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, 1985-present Contemporary malaria Contemporary tuberculosis Epilogue Glossary. Balancing current and historical issues, this volume of essays covers the most significant worldwide epidemics from the Black Death to AIDS.Great pandemics have resulted in significant death tolls and major social disruption. Other'virgin soil'epidemics have struck down large percentages of populations that had no previous contact with newly introduced microbes. Written by a specialist in the history of science and medicine, the essays in this volume discuss pandemics and epidemics affecting Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, covering diseases in ancient times to the present. Each entry combines biological and social information to form a picture of the significance of epidemics that have shaped world history.The essays cover the areas of major pandemics, virgin soil epidemics, disruptive shocks, and epidemics of symbolic interest. Included are facts about what an epidemic was, where and when it occurred, how contemporaries reacted, and the unresolved historical issues remaining. This fascinating material is written at a level suitable for scholars and the general public.