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what were common diseases in the 1600s

by Miss Bethel Yundt IV Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Common diseases were dysentery, malaria, diphtheria, flu, typhoid, smallpox and leprosy.

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How does diphtheria affect the body?

What causes gray pseudomembrane?

What is the gram-positive bacterium that causes diphtheria?

What were the causes of death during the colonial period?

What is the bloody flux?

What diseases were endemic to North America?

What diseases were common during the European colonial expansion?

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What were some common diseases in the 1600s?

Notably, diphtheria, pertussis, and typhoid fever are thought to have accompanied the Europeans to the new continent, while dysentery and Streptococcus (scarlet fever) are regarded as diseases that were endemic to North America.

Which disease was most common during 16 century?

In the 16th and 17th centuries, successive epidemics of plague in England spaced over 10, 20, or 30 years produced mortality rates as high as 20% in urban areas, whilst the morbidity rate at times was more than double the death rate.

What were common diseases in the 1700s?

In the 1700s, worldwide eruptions of smallpox threatened the lives of multitudes, although other epidemics such as cholera, yellow fever, plague, and influenza played havoc as well.

What diseases did the colonists bring?

Europeans brought deadly viruses and bacteria, such as smallpox, measles, typhus, and cholera, for which Native Americans had no immunity (Denevan, 1976). On their return home, European sailors brought syphilis to Europe.

What plague happened in the 1600s?

Most of the sick in 1665-1666 had bubonic plague. This created swellings (buboes) in the lymph nodes found in the armpits, groin and neck. Plague sufferers experienced headaches, vomiting and fever. They had a 30% chance of dying within two weeks.

What was medicine like in the 1600s?

Physicians did not widely practice a treatment of medicines, although some chemical elixirs and ointments were applied or administered. They were often produced with dangerous materials like lead or mercury.

What was the leading cause of death in the 16th century?

The Black Death was a plague that affected much of the world, originating in Asia and spreading to Europe through diseased fleas and rats. This epidemic has been reported to have been the cause of death for approximately "60% of the European population".

Was there a pandemic in the 1600s?

At the end of the 16th century, the plague hit San Cristóbal de La Laguna (1582–83) in the Canary Islands. In the 17th century, outbreaks were a series of "great plagues": the Great Plague of Seville (1647–52), the Great Plague of London (1665–66) and the Great Plague of Vienna (1679).

What are the 7 killer diseases?

7 Deadliest Diseases in History: Where are they now?The Black Death: Bubonic Plague. ... The Speckled Monster: Smallpox. ... Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) ... Avian Influenza: Not Just One For The Birds. ... Ebola: On The Radar Again. ... Leprosy: A Feared Disease That Features In The Old Testament.More items...•

What animal did syphilis come from?

Syphilis also came to humans from cattle or sheep many centuries ago, possibly sexually”. The most recent and deadliest STI to have crossed the barrier separating humans and animals has been HIV, which humans got from the simian version of the virus in chimpanzees.

What illness did the pilgrims have?

'A wonderful plague' Modern scholars have argued that indigenous communities were devastated by leptospirosis, a disease caused by Old World bacteria that had likely reached New England through the feces of rats that arrived on European ships.

How did syphilis start in humans?

There is still debate over the origin of syphilis and how it spread to different parts of the world. The most well-supported hypothesis, the Columbian Hypothesis, states that Columbus' seamen, who first arrived in the Americas in 1492, brought the disease back to Europe following exploration of the Americas.

What was the most common disease in the Middle Ages?

Common diseases were dysentery, malaria, diphtheria, flu, typhoid, smallpox and leprosy. Most of these are now rare in Britain, but some diseases, like cancer and heart disease, are more common in modern times than they were in the Middle Ages.

What was the biggest disease in the Middle Ages?

The Black Death (1347−9 in Britain; 1346−53 in Europe) was the most notorious epidemic in history; when it struck, it killed between a third and a half of the people of Europe.

What were the most common diseases in the 1800s?

THE EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY IN AMERICA From 1800 to about 1870, the major causes of death in children were tuberculosis, diarrhea of infancy, bacillary dysentery, typhoid fever, and the highly contagious diseases of childhood, especially scarlet fever, diphtheria, and lobar pneumonia (5).

What diseases were common in the 19th century?

Diseases and epidemics of the 19th century included long-standing epidemic threats such as smallpox, typhus, yellow fever, and scarlet fever. In addition, cholera emerged as an epidemic threat and spread worldwide in six pandemics in the nineteenth century.

What were the two diseases that caused the Salem Witch Trials?

The two possible sicknesses that I found that could have caused the Salem Witch Trials, were mass hysteria and schizophrenia. Both of these sicknesses show the symptoms of the girls, including, hallucinations, seizures, delusions, paralysis, and much more. Therefore these two mental sicknesses could have caused the disorganized behavior and, overall, the Salem Witch Trials.

What are the most common mental illnesses in the Northern colonies?

Two of the most common mental sicknesses during this time in the northern colonies, are mass hysteria and schizophrenia. Mass hysteria is a conversion/psychological disorder. This basically means that the person with this sickness will experience paralysis, difficulty speaking and eating, vision problems (sometimes this disease could cause blindness), going deaf, and seizures. This disorder can be caused by being stressed and many girls are usually diagnosed with this disorder. Next is schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a disease that includes a group of severe brain disorders. Along with this sickness people will most likely be faced with hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder, and disorganized behavior. This sickness can be caused by genetics or your environment and when people have this disease, they would interpret reality abnormally. In conclusion, these were the mental sicknesses in the northern colonies in the 1600s.

What were the most common diseases in the colonies?

Two of the most common diseases in the northern colonies during the 1600s, were malaria and yellow fever. Malaria is spread by infected mosquitoes and this disease was rapidly spreading along the east coast during this time. This caused many tribes and settlements to move west. Not only this, but this disease was deadly to many new arrivals in the Americas, because these people had not built up the immunity to malaria. The second most common disease, yellow fever, is also spread by mosquitoes. But unlike malaria, which is caused by a single-celled parasite, yellow fever is caused by a virus called the flavivirus. Also, in 1699 Charleston and Philadelphia went through the first outbreak of yellow fever in the American colonies. This caused life to almost come to a standstill. Lastly, both of these diseases had one common risk factor, the contaminated water that many people were drinking during this time.

What did people drink in the 1600s?

Malaria- In the 1600s people would drink "carduus posset" a drink made from thistles.

Can schizophrenia be helped?

Schizophrenia- This sickness can only be helped with social and psychological therapy.

Did Colonial America have a cure for mental illness?

Since many people in Colonial America did not know how to determine these mental sicknesses, there were no specific cures back then. Still both of these disorders have no definite cure.

What was the mission of hospitals?

The level of care in hospitals varied greatly. Their mission included not only caring for the sick but also providing aid to the poor and housing disorderly people. They often excluded people with incurable or infectious diseases, such as plague or smallpox.

What do they use to help the wounded?

Today they still use home health care, and sometimes turn to plants and natural medications, to help the wounded or ill.

What were the traveling healers known as?

There were also traveling healers known as charlatans.

Is healthcare affordable for everyone?

Healthcare today is affordable for everyone, not just the wealthy.

What did William Harvey discover?

William Harvey's discovery of blood circulation and blood being pumped by the heart made him a notable enlightened thinker of his time. He also discovered the proper place to put a tourniquet in order to stop an arm from bleeding. Harvey influenced other physicians and philosophers, such as Richard Lower and Robert Hooke who conducted their own experiments on the circulation of blood.#N#They discovered that when blood passes through the lung it picks up something that turns the color bright red (in the next century it is proven to be oxygen). Richard Lower was also the first to perform a blood transfusion, first between animals. In 1665 the Royal Society also conducted experiments with blood transfusing between dogs. They joined the artery of one of the dogs to the vein of the other and then tried transferring the blood. Their experiment ended up killing the larger dog who's artery was connected to the vein, while the smaller one seemed to be completely fine.#N#One other interesting case of blood transfusion occurred in 1667 in Paris when one of Louis XIV's physicians preformed a blood transfusion between a young man and lamb. The boy had been weakened by too much blood-letting, so the doctor inserted about a half a pint of lamb blood into his veins. Reports have said that the man's condition actually improved and the transfusion was a success.#N#Hooke utilized the newly invented microscope to discover microscopic matter known to be red blood cells and bacteria. Marcello Malpighi was another person who made use of the microscope. He used it to examine organs, such as the liver, brain, skin, spleen and the structure of the liver. Malpighi was the first scientist to observe the capillaries, which are tiny blood vessels that circulate through the flesh.

How did the Enlightenment change the way people thought and perceived life?

As people began gaining knowledge through observation and experimenting, techniques improved and surgeries and procedures were not as gruesome as they were in the past.

What was the plague in the 1600s?

In the 1600s the plague was still reappearing and still caused fear among the people of Europe. One important account of it was The Great Plague in London in 1665. In July of 1665 the plague was back in London and as the temperatures rose, so did the deaths. There was a rumor that spread saying that stray dogs and cats were the cause ...

Why was free thought restrained?

Free thought was still restrained because the church restricted certain ideas and practices that they deemed unholy. Surgeries and dissections were often preformed on criminals, who were sometimes completely conscious during the procedure.

What was the scientific revolution?

Prior to the Scientific Revolution most medical procedures were based on superstition and religious beliefs rather than reason and experience.

What did Enlightenment thinkers share?

Enlightenment thinkers all shared a common interest in social reform and improving the quality of life. Medicine was changed as people assimilated into the age of reason. Theories were now beginning to be backed up with evidence and rational thought as more discoveries were made.

Why did the people kill stray dogs and cats?

The people took this into account and killed the stray dogs and cats, which actually made things worse because this caused the rat populations to increase. Victims of the plague had a red cross across the front door of their homes to warn others to stay away.

What were the effects of syphilis on the Elizabethans?

Without antibiotics, Elizabethans would have experienced the full effects of syphilis, which included raging fever (referred to as "burnt blood"), tortuous body aches, blindness, full body pustules, meningitis, insanity, and leaking heart valves, known today as aortic regurgitation.

What caused Shakespeare's death?

Although we will likely never know what really caused Shakespeare's own death, a serious outbreak of typhus in 1616 lends credibility to the story that he succumbed to a fever. 5. Malaria. Known to the Elizabethans as ague, Malaria was a common malady spread by the mosquitoes in the marshy Thames.

What were the odds of survival for the Elizabethans?

Lucky Elizabethans would contract the basic bubonic plague with their odds of survival around fifty percent. Symptoms would include red, grossly inflamed and swollen lymph nodes, called buboes (hence the name bubonic), high fever, delirium, and convulsions.

What did Shakespeare say about syphilis?

Shakespeare mentions syphilis often in his work and in Timon of Athens he alludes to the calamitous Elizabethan treatment of syphilis: the inhalation of vaporized mercury salts: Give them diseases, leaving with thee their lust. Make use of thy salt hours: season the slaves.

What is the common belief of Shakespeare's characters?

Shakespeare's characters speak often of ague. A common belief was that the sun spread the fever by sucking up the vapors from the marshes. In The Tempest, Caliban describes the process while cursing Prospero: All the infections that the sun sucks up. From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall and make him.

What happened to Shakespeare during the outbreak of 1592-93?

During the outbreak of 1592-93, the Crown ordered the complete closure of all theatres in London. Shakespeare, then working with Lord Strange’s Men at the Rose theatre, would have been in the midst of a run of his Henry VI history plays (Bradbrook, 65), and likely financially devastated by the edict.

What was the most common disease in Shakespeare's life?

2. Smallpox . One of the worst outbreaks of smallpox occurred two years before Shakespeare's birth, in 1562. Queen Elizabeth herself, then 29, was attacked by the virus that causes high fever, vomiting, excessive bleeding, and pus-filled scabs that leave deep pitted scars.

What year was the pestilence epidemic?

Historical view of Pestilential Epidemics from the year 1600 to the close of the year 1700. THE year 1600 was remarkable for pestilence in almost every part of Europe. Spain, where the disease was fatal the year before, was this year almost depopulated. There raged throughout Europe, a pestilential, mortal cholic which destroyed the lives ...

What was the weather like in 1600?

The winter of 1600 was very cold. In the summer of 160 • there was a severe drouth of four or five months; and a violent dysentery followed, with double tertians and continual fevers. The plague raged in Portugal, attended with black round worms. At Christmas, there was an earthquake in England. The same year there was an earthquake at Arequipa, in Peru, accompa|nied by an eruption of a volcano.

What year was the principal mortality?

This corresponds also with the accounts in Prince's Chronol|ogy from original manuscripts. This fixes the time in 1618 , precisely agreeable to Capt. Dermer's account. This was the year of the principal mortality; but like other pestilential pe|riods, this continued for a number of years; for some of the Plymouth settlers went to Massachusetts, (now Boston) in 1622, to purchase corn of the natives; and "found among the In|dians, a great sickness, not unlike the plague, if not the same." It raged in winter, and affected the Indians only.

How many people died in the famin?

At the same time, the famin in Livonia, and the cold winter of 1602, destroyed 30,000 lives. The dead bodies lay in the streets, for want of hands to bury them.

How long did the plague last in Muscovy?

In Muscovy the famin raged for three years at the beginning of the century under consideration, attended with the plague. Parents devoured their dying children; cats, rats and every un|clean Page 172 thing was used to sustain life. All the ties of nature and morality were disregarded; human flesh was exposed to sale in the open market. The more powerful seized their neighbors; fathers and mothers, their children; husbands, their wives, and offered them for sale. Multitudes of dead were found, with their mouths filled with straw, and the most filthy substances. Five hundred thousand persons were supposed to perish in Mus|covy, by famin and pestilence.

How many people died in England from the plague?

In England, there was also a dearth, and in 1603 perished 36,000 in London, of the plague, which was said to be imported from Ostend.

What happened in Florence in 1600?

In Florence a terrible earthquake destroyed many buildings. The winter of 1600 was very cold.

How does diphtheria affect the body?

Diphtheria toxin inhibits protein synthesis by catalyzing the transfer of NAD+ to inactivate an elongation factor ( eEF-2) that is required for translation. As a result, healthy tissue in the back of the nose and throat is destroyed. Within a couple of days, dead tissue buildup creates a thick gray coating at the back of the throat or nose. In severe cases, this characteristic pseudomembrane may cause airway obstruction and lead to suffocation. Prior to vaccination, the only available treatment was tracheotomy to allow patients to breathe again. Additional symptoms of diphtheria include weakness, fever, sore throat, and swollen neck.

What causes gray pseudomembrane?

Characteristic gray pseudomembrane caused by diphtheria. Diphtheria toxin: Diphtheria pathogenesis is dependent upon the presence and secretion of an exotoxin – diphtheria toxin. Exotoxins are uniquely capable of acting locally and globally (far from the site of bacterial colonization).

What is the gram-positive bacterium that causes diphtheria?

It is caused by the gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria and transmitted through coughs and sneezes of the infected. Characteristic gray pseudomembrane caused by diphtheria.

What were the causes of death during the colonial period?

Whooping cough was another prominent childhood disease, however, it was less threatening to childhood survival than other pathogens of the time.

What is the bloody flux?

Dysentery, also known as the bloody flux and camp fever, was a very common and significant concern to both Europe and North America. The disease is caused by the gram-negative bacterium Shigella dysenteriae and spreads rapidly in unsanitary conditions where food and water are contaminated by human waste.

What diseases were endemic to North America?

Notably, diphtheria, pertussis, and typhoid fever are thought to have accompanied the Europeans to the new continent, while dysentery and Streptococcus (scarlet fever) are regarded as diseases that were endemic to North America.

What diseases were common during the European colonial expansion?

For the most part, diseases were classified based on observable symptoms. The following is a brief survey of 5 bacterial pathogens, and their exotoxins, that were common during the European colonial expansion into North America. Notably, diphtheria, pertussis, and typhoid fever are thought to have accompanied the Europeans to the new continent, ...

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1.The Toxin-Based Diseases Common in North America …

Url:https://asm.org/Articles/2019/July/The-Toxin-Based-Diseases-Common-in-North-America-d

7 hours ago Malaria and yellow fever were two of the most common diseases in the northern colonies in the 1600s. But these two diseases never showed the symptoms of the girls in Salem, …

2.What were the diseases in the Northern Colonies in the …

Url:https://prezi.com/totf5aahs6m0/what-were-the-diseases-in-the-northern-colonies-in-the-1600s/

24 hours ago  · What were the most common disease's in the 1600s? - Answers. The two most common were malaria (that was transferred bymosquitoes) and scurvy (that sailors contracted …

3.Disease and Medicine during the 1500-1600's by Macie …

Url:https://prezi.com/qry2jbhp6n7c/disease-and-medicine-during-the-1500-1600s/

28 hours ago Common diseases were dysentery, malaria, diphtheria, flu, typhoid, smallpox and leprosy. What illnesses were common in the 1600s? Notably, diphtheria, pertussis, and typhoid fever are …

4.1600s - Evolution of Medicine in Europe

Url:https://eurohistorymed.weebly.com/1600s.html

12 hours ago Known to the Elizabethans as ague, Malaria was a common malady spread by the mosquitoes in the marshy Thames. The swampy theatre district of Southwark was always at risk. King James …

5.Worst Diseases in Shakespeare's England

Url:http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/londondisease.html

11 hours ago  · Ischemic heart disease, or coronary artery disease. Stroke. Lower respiratory infections. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Trachea, bronchus, and lung cancers. …

6.A brief history of epidemic and pestilential diseases; with …

Url:https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N27531.0001.001/1:11?rgn=div1;view=fulltext

21 hours ago The year 1648 appears to have been less sickly, in London; but in the south of Europe, malignant diseases were the harbin|gers of the plague, which in 1649 carried off 200,000 people in the …

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