Plagues & Pathogens
The Great Smog of London, 1952 – How Air Pollution Changed Public Health Policy
In December 1952 a five-day pea-souper killed thousands in London and forced Britain to confront air pollution as a public health emergency.
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Plagues & Pathogens
Epidemics, infections and the discoveries that changed our understanding of disease.
Plagues & Pathogens
Togo and the Diphtheria Serum Run
Thanks to modern childhood vaccination programmes, diphtheria is now a rare illness in Western Europe and the United States. It is still common, however, in developing countries where vaccination rates are low. It is a…
Plagues & Pathogens
The Terrible Tale of Typhoid Mary
Typhoid fever is a particularly nasty infection caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi . The infection causes malaise, abdominal pain, a rash, diarrhoea or constipation, and in severe cases can result in intestinal…
Plagues & Pathogens
What Killed George Washington?
George Washington is, without doubt, one of the world’s most famous historical figures. He served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American War of Independence, presided over the 1787…
Plagues & Pathogens
Smallpox and the Conquest of Mexico
In 1517 the Spanish conquistadors, led by Hernán Cortés, arrived in Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire. The ruler of the Aztecs, Motecuhzoma II, made the Spanish welcome and things were friendly between the…
Plagues & Pathogens
John Snow and the 1854 Cholera Outbreak
In August 1854, Soho in London was struck with a severe cholera outbreak. Cholera is a gastrointestinal infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae . It is still prevalent in areas with inadequate sanitation and…
Plagues & Pathogens
Germ Warfare and the Siege of Fort Pitt
Germ warfare is defined as “the use of biological toxins or infectious agents with the intent to kill or incapacitate as an act of war.” These biological agents are quite literally used as deadly living weapons. Germ…
Plagues & Pathogens
The Russian Plague of 1770-1772
In the summer of 2016, a 10-year-old Russian boy cut himself skinning a marmot whilst hunting with his grandfather in the remote Kosh-Agach region in the Atlai Mountains. A few days later he developed a fever and a…
Plagues & Pathogens
The Dancing Plague of 1518
In the summer of 1518 in the city of Strasbourg, Alsace, a woman by the name of Frau Troffea took to the streets and started to dance. She continued to dance day and night without stopping. No one knows why she started…
Plagues & Pathogens
The Mysterious Sweating Sickness
The Middle Ages are renowned for being a turbulent and difficult period of history. War, famine and disease occurred throughout the period and one of the most devastating pandemics in history, the Black Death, occurred…
Plagues & Pathogens
Plagues, Comets and Volcanoes
The sixth century AD was a tumultuous period of human history. It marked the end of Classical Antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages. Empires fell and new ones rose up to take their place. It was during this…
Plagues & Pathogens
Spanish Flu: The Deadliest Pandemic in History
In the Spring of 2009, a new strain of influenza began to infect people in Mexico. Reports suggested that the outbreak had started in February due to farming practices at a pig farm and it was henceforth given the name…
Plagues & Pathogens
The Coldest Case - Lessons from the Iceman
I am an unashamed fan of history and spend much of my time away from Medicine reading about history and listening to podcasts such as the excellent 'Hardcore History' by Dan Carlin. This particular article was inspired…