I couldn't find anything on exhumation/harvesting evidence. Oh, well.
EBUCK
Posted on 04/12/2002 5:43:45 AM PDT by blam
Black Death 'was not plague' say experts
The Black Death may not have been caused by bubonic plague after all, say US scientists.
They have been looking at church records from the 14th century to find out how the disease spread.
They now think it was probably some other infection passed on by human contact and not bubonic plague which relies on flea-ridden rats.
Records show the disease spread along busy roads and rivers and over natural barriers which would have restricted rats.
They also say there are other diseases with similar symptoms which are more likely candidates.
The modern version of the plague usually occurs when there is an increase in the number of rat deaths - something not recorded during the 1300s.
Experts at Penn State University say an ancestor of bubonic plague might have been responsible, but if so it has evolved into something very different.
Bubonic plague was first suggested as the cause of the Black Death by 19th century doctors.
But Penn State's Dr James Wood said: "This disease appears to spread too rapidly among humans to be something that must first be established in wild rodent populations, like bubonic plague.
"An analysis of priests' monthly mortality rates during the epidemic shows a 45-fold greater risk of death than during normal times, a level of mortality far higher than usually associated with bubonic plague."
Story filed: 13:23 Friday 12th April 2002
Yup. Mostly they did. I've read that the highly populated cities were hit harder than the isolated areas in the countryside. Most of the 'learned' people in the cities would have died and we would have started back again with mainly the country bumpkins, er?
I couldn't find anything on exhumation/harvesting evidence. Oh, well.
EBUCK
a. cricket
The organism which, reputedly, causes plague [it was called Pasteurella pestis when I taught microbiology] is comparatively fragile outside of a living body. Doubtful if it could survive hundreds of years.
On the other hand, if the plague affected the northern parts of Scandinavia and Russia there might well be some victims buried in the permafrost. Odds [IMO] would be much higher to recover some of the caustive entity in this case.
We are NOT the ANCESTORS of survivors from the 1300s.....we are DESCENDANTS......unless you're r-e-a-l-l-y, r-e-a-l-l-y old!! LOL.
a.cricket
What I've seen of rats, they're always around water, harbors, canals, ships, etc. Rivers would not be a barrier, but the perfect way for them to get around.
A fascinating article anyway. The plague supposedly killed off 1/3 of the population of Europe. Paintings by Pieter Breughel the Elder evoke feelings of what it may have been like in those times.
Yup. My mistake. I do the same with niece and nephew.
I also kinda liked Mel Blanc's Mexican skit (Sigh).
I think so and so does Lyme Disease, but notice how we panic over it.
The organism, Yersinia pestis, could cross via infective fleas using boats, dams, tree limbs, bridges, floating debris, swimming animals, or catapults.
Plague arrived on American shores around 1900 from Asia, probably on a vessel putting into San Francisco. It's now found throughout the western U.S., and there's NO getting rid of it.
If detected early, Lyme Disease is corrected with antibiotics fairly easily. It's has some pretty serious complications if not detected and treated early. (Late stage Lyme Disease requires months of intraveneous antibotics and even then, not always successful.) It can even cause serious mental problems.
We're often bitten by those really small ticks during the summer in rural central Virginia. The small ones make such light footsteps that you don't necessarily feel them walking on you.
At the site of infection/bite there will be a dark 'bullseye' pattern on/under the skin. If this is not detected (and treated), it will advance next into a condition described as 'flu symptoms.' In the advanced/later stages it gets really serious and is frequently not detectable, arthritis, fatigue, depression and mental confusion are just some of the symptoms. (It will vary somewhat from person to person) I thought I had it at one time and am still not sure I don't.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.