History a’la Carte~Pandemic edition pt. 1
- Click the titles to go to the original articles.
- The Justinianic Plague reached as far as the British Isles, study finds
- The mystery of plague in medieval Iceland
- The Medieval Origins of Quarantine
- “Invisible Little Worms”Athanasius Kircher’s Study of the Plague
- Coughs, Sneezes, and Jet-Propelled Germs: Two Public Service Films by Richard Massingham (1945)
- Coping with Pandemics in the Middle Ages
- Social distancing, 18th Century style (Is this your louse?)
Sometimes it is good to remember we aren’t the only one who have dealt with plague and pandemic, in this edition of History a’la Carte.
Click the titles to go to the original articles.
The Justinianic Plague reached as far as the British Isles, study finds
A study of the Justinianic Plague has revealed how diverse the pandemic was, as well as provides the first genetic evidence that it reached the British Isles.
The mystery of plague in medieval Iceland
Although it is recognised there are other explanations for plague in Iceland, greater caution needs to be taken in interpreting the direct and indirect evidence for its demographic effects.
The Medieval Origins of Quarantine
As the world deals with the coronavirus pandemic, some of the key measures authorities are using to deal with the crisis are isolation and quarantine. The origins of quarantine date back to the Middle Ages, an idea that emerged in the wake of the Black Death.
“Invisible Little Worms”Athanasius Kircher’s Study of the Plague
Living through the devastating Italian plague of 1656, the great polymath Athanasius Kircher turned his ever-enquiring mind to the then mysterious disease, becoming possibly the first to view infected blood through a microscope. While his subsequent theories of spontaneous generation and “universal sperm” were easily debunked, Kircher’s investigation can be seen as an important early step to understanding contagion, and perhaps even the very first articulation of germ theory. John Glassie explores.
At a time when the spread of disease is on everyone’s mind and governments the world over seek to educate the public in how to help contain the Coronavirus through hand-washing PSAs of all kinds, we thought it a good opportunity to highlight two short, memorable, and mercifully amusing public service films made in 1945 and 1948 respectively. Whereas PSAs of today mostly come in our social-media feeds and through television adverts, these informational “trailers” were shown before or in between main features at the local cinema, informing the public about everything from the importance of wartime rationing to the post-war workings of the new National Health System.
Coping with Pandemics in the Middle Ages
By far, one of the most stressful things about the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t fear of falling ill, but the psychological toll—not just in terms of isolation from “social distancing,” but simply feeling a lack of control over the situation.
Social distancing, 18th Century style (Is this your louse?)
250 years ago, with no concept of viral infections, or even basic hygiene, people could still recoil at the idea of ‘picking something up’ from a neighbour – in this case head-lice. Quite makes you want to scratch, doesn’t it?
There is nothing new under the sun… or something like that. Plagues, pestilence, and such… are old news as you have demonstrated with those excellent links. Also, you can read the old Testament accounts for even more stories. I suppose long after we are gone, something new will pop up and our descendants will battle their own versions of a pandemic. Maybe by then they will have the knowledge and the means to heal disease. Thanks for sharing.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing. This pandemic doesn’t seem to have an end in sight. I continue to quarantine as much as possible.