Doctors advise observing personal hygiene. In the Middle Ages, it was extremely difficult. Therefore, the Middle Ages can be called an "unsanitary" era. In those days, humanity suffered huge losses due to various viral and infectious diseases. This is my message today.
WARNING: this message contains materials not intended for persons with the weak psyche. If you are disgusted by the warped appearance of the human body, please refrain from viewing. I warned you.
Scurvy
In the Middle Ages, even avitaminosis could become a deadly disease. For example, scurvy is an ailment that is caused by an acute vitamin C deficiency. During this disease, fragility of the vessels increases, a hemorrhagic rash appears on the body, bleeding gums increase, teeth fall out.
Qing was discovered during the Crusades in the early 13th century. Over time, it began to be called "sea scurvy", because in the main it was sick sailors. For example, in 1495 Vasco da Gama's ship lost 100 of the 160 members of the expedition on its way to India. According to statistics, from 1600 to 1800 from scurvy died about a million seafarers. This exceeds human losses during sea battles.
According to statistics, from 1600 to 1800, 1 million seafarers died of scurvy
Treatment for scurvy was found In 1747: the chief physician of the Marine Hospital Gosport James Lind proved that greens and citrus can prevent the development of the disease.
Nome
The very first mention of the number is found in the writings of ancient doctors - Hippocrates and Galen. Later it gradually began to capture the whole of Europe. Unsanitary conditions are the best breeding ground for bacteria, which causes nome, and as far as is known, in the Middle Ages, hygiene was not particularly monitored.
In Europe, the noma actively spread until the nineteenth century
Bacteria, getting into the body, begins to multiply - and in the mouth appear ulcers. At the last stages of the disease, the teeth and the lower jaw are exposed. For the first time a detailed description of the disease appeared in the works of Dutch doctors of the early XVII century. In Europe, the noma actively spread until the 19th century. The second wave of noma came during World War II - ulcers appeared in prisoners in concentration camps.
Nowadays, the disease is prevalent, mainly in poor parts of Asia and Africa, without proper care, it kills 90% of children.
Bubonic plague
For the first time, the story of the plague is found in the epic about Gilgamesh. Mention of outbreaks can be found in many ancient sources. The standard scheme of spreading plague - "rat - flea - man". During the first epidemic in 551-580 ("Justinian Plague") the scheme changed to "man-flea-man". This scheme is called "plague massacre" because of the lightning spread of the virus. During the "Justinian Plague" more than 10 million people were killed.
In total, up to 34 million people in Europe died of the plague. The worst epidemic happened in the XIV century when the virus of "black death" was brought from East China. Bubonic plague was not treated until the end of the XIX century, but cases were recorded when the patients recovered.
Standard rat-flea-human plague spread pattern
Currently, the mortality rate does not exceed 5-10%, and the percentage of recoveries is high enough, of course, only if the disease is diagnosed at an early stage.
Leprosy
Leprosy, or in a different way, leprosy, begins its history from ancient times - the first mentions of the disease are contained in the Bible, in the papyrus of Ebers and in some works of doctors of Ancient India. However, the "dawn" of lepra occurred at the time of the Middle Ages, when even leprosariums arose - places for quarantine for the infected.
The first mention of lepra is contained in the Bible
When a man was ill with leprosy, he was buried in demonstrative fashion. The patient was condemned to death, put in a coffin, served on it, then sent to the cemetery - there he was waiting for a grave. After the funeral, he was permanently sent to the leper colony. For his loved ones he was considered dead.
Only in 1873 in Norway, the causative agent of leprosy was discovered. Currently, it is possible to diagnose leprosy in the early stages and completely cure, but with a late diagnosis the patient becomes an invalid with persistent physical changes.
Black Pox
The smallpox virus is one of the oldest on the planet, it appeared several thousand years ago. However, its name was received only in 570, when Bishop Marius of Avansha used it under the Latin name "variola".
For medieval Europe, smallpox was the most terrible word, for it brutally punished both infected and helpless doctors. For example, the Burgundian Queen Austrigilda, dying, asked her husband to execute her doctors for what they could not save from this terrible disease. Her request was executed - the doctors hacked with swords.
The Germans had a saying: "Few will escape smallpox and love"
At one point in Europe, the virus spread so widely that it was impossible to meet a person who did not suffer from smallpox. The Germans even had a saying: "Von Pocken und Liebe bleiben nur Wenige frei" (Few will escape smallpox and love).
Today, the last case of infection was recorded on October 26, 1977 in the Somali city of Mark.
This is the most difficult message I have ever written. After reading and seeing, I want to go wash.
Be healthy my friends!