Posted on 01/15/2018 6:21:35 PM PST by nickcarraway
Several additional factors made the situation worse. Because of the witchcraft fears cats were killed in a number of areas in Europe. The rats at the time were not the gray Norway rat which lives in cellars and sewers, but the black and brown rats which were upstairs rats. Some time ago I read that plague is endemic in 17 US western states, often in the prairie dog population. A few people catch it here every year. Also, while the bubonic form is the most common and more recoverable, there is the pneumonic form which can be spread by coughing and sneezing and like the septisemic form is almost always fatal. This may be why the death rate was so high in some epidemics.
I recently read that marriages were often held in June because people had their annual bath when it got warm in may and were not yet “ripe.” I am sure that many a couple shared their vermin on a regular basis. My husband once came home from a trip where he stayed in a hostel. We took 23 lice off his body. He was very hairy. He was afraid I would think he had been fooling around on his trip, but most of the lice were in his chest hair and even one in his eyebrow, not below the belt. Fortunately, I noticed one of them before we got lovey dovey, so began the careful search. We also got scabies once, hugging a friend who had returned from Russia (with love??). Then the kids got it, we would launder everything, then they would wear a jacket that had fallen behind the couch. and get them again. Took 6 months and much laundering to end that epidemic.
Perfume was invented to cover up the stench of body odor, and since not all marriages were done after the yearly bath, flowers were incorporated into the ceremony to help mask the smell of the bride.
I’m thankful for clean hot water on demand!
That rumor was started by cats......
That rules out Hillary
It's not a new problem, either in food (strong spices, salting, smoking) or in personal relations. The ancient world stunk to high heaven of dung because, well, hygiene practices. Still that way in arid countries.
A disinformation campaign by cats.
Who would have thought?
The link says it is not on this server 404. ?
Thank you for the link, it works.
I may need some understanding, as science is NOT my best subject. I thought it was the fleas, on the rats, that actually caused the Black Death because they could transfer and bite, even if rat was dead?
I will read the article, and if I have questions I will get back to you.
Thanks again.
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