Today, with the help of medicine, you can cure almost any disease. But during the Middle Ages, doctors were powerless even before the most innocent diseases. In that distant era, epidemics claimed tens of thousands of lives (even during the war and famine, fewer people died). Not always the cause of mass death was the plague known to all, often people died from simple infections, such as prickly heat. In medieval England, death from this disease was common.
What is known about this disease?
So, prickly heat, what is it? In medieval England, people died in large numbers from this disease, but in fact this is not such a serious disease. Sweating is a disease of the skin, which manifests itself in the form of dermatitis due to increased sweating. The rash is small red bubbles, which are often accompanied by swelling. In general, this irritation is characteristic of young children, although it also occurs in adults, as was the case in medieval England. Sweating usually accompanies heart disease, endocrine disruption, and may also result from obesity.
More on the causes of scorching
This kind of rash occurs as a result of impaired evaporation of sweat from the surface of the skin.
But the cause of increased sweating can be such ailments and conditions as:
- Cardiovascular diseases.
- Disorders in the functioning of the endocrine system, diabetes mellitus.
- Excess body mass index.
- Heat.
- Using cosmetics and oily creams in the heat.
- Strong physical activity.
- Stay in an unventilated and hot room.
- Clothing that is not seasonally selected from a fabric that does not allow air to pass through.
- Disease of the nervous system.
- Hot climate.
- Failure to comply with basic hygiene.
The last point, perhaps, became fatal for the inhabitants of medieval England. Sweating at that time appeared due to the fact that for a long time people walked in clothes wet from sweat or wore shoes that had poor contact with the air.
English epidemic
For the first time, prickly heat in medieval England appeared in 1485. This epidemic erupted periodically for almost a century. By a strange coincidence, the scandal manifested itself as soon as Henry Tudor came to power. Two weeks have not passed since the beginning of his reign, and a strange epidemic has already claimed several thousand lives. For the Tudor dynasty, this became a fatal sign: as soon as they occupied the ruling elite, the prickly heat quickly spread throughout medieval England.
“Without a chance of recovery” - this is exactly the characteristic that can be given to sweating sickness in the Middle Ages. As soon as a person became a victim of an epidemic, he was automatically considered dead. Of course, attempts were made to treat, but at that time they did not bring the desired results.
Sweating fever
Sweating was accompanied not only by skin dermatitis, its constant companion was always fever. As a result, this disease was called the English sweating fever, she returned to England 5 times, taking with her new lives.
During the reign of Henry VIII, death from sweating fever was terrible and painful. There were even rumors among the population that as long as the Tudor dynasty ruled, the disease would not leave England. In 1528, an epidemic broke out with such force that the ruler had to dissolve the courtyard and leave the country. The last pandemic in England dates from 1551.
Versions
As you know, in medieval Europe, more than half of the population died of the plague, however, its cause has long been found. But what triggered the English sweating fever remains a secret even today. Scientists can only make assumptions.
Oxford and Cambridge were affected the most by the epidemic , where more than half of the population died from the disease. What are the causes of prickly heat in England in the 16th century? Is it something unknown (like Fatum or divine punishment) or a kind of unexplored virus? So far, scientists have put forward only versions:
- In ancient times, the main sources of infections and epidemics were complete unsanitary conditions. Already in the Middle Ages, the air in England was infected with toxic fumes, because people did not really care about disposing of waste (usually they decomposed peacefully in the gateways). The contents of the night pots, without a twinge of conscience, poured out of the windows, and muddy streams flowing through the streets, poisoning the soil. Because of this disregard for the environment, even the water in the wells was unusable. Naturally, such conditions could cause many serious diseases, and not just prickly heat.
- It is also believed that in medieval England, prickly heat is a disease caused by bites of lice and ticks, which even today carry dangerous infections.
- It was also believed that prickly heat caused the hantavirus (a disease that affects rodents and is dangerous to humans). True, the scientific community has not proved this.
- The epidemic could have been triggered by tests of a new bacteriological weapon, or prickly heat was simply a type of flu.
- There is a version that prickly heat developed due to the addiction of the British to ale (an alcoholic drink that was popular during the reign of Henry VIII).
- And, of course, the Tudors dynasty, in particular the ruler Henry 8, who appeared on the territory of England with the army of French legionnaires, was blamed for everything, thereby laying the foundation for the spread of a new disease - prickly heat.
Scientists of the Middle Ages believed that English sweating fever appeared due to the damp climate, the manner of dressing warmly in the hot season, earthquakes and the position of the planets. Of course, most of these assumptions are logical.
How did the disease manifest itself in the Middle Ages?
There is an opinion that prickly heat in ancient England is a disease from which there is no salvation. Today, prickly heat is not considered something dangerous, but in those days, few people escaped from it. The first symptoms began to appear immediately after infection. The patient developed severe fever, chills, and dizziness. All this was accompanied by unbearable pain in the neck, shoulders, arms, legs and head. After a while, the patient developed a fever, he began to rave, the heartbeat became more frequent, and an unbearable thirst began to torment the person. At the same time, the patient showed profuse sweating.
In most cases, the heart simply could not withstand such a load, but if a person infected by prickly heat managed to survive, then a rash appeared on his body.
Varieties of rash
The rash that appeared on the body during prickly heat was of two types:
- In the first case, these were scarlet-like flaky spots. In general, in addition to general discomfort and itching, they did not cause problems.
- In the second case, hemorrhagic vesicles that bleed upon dissection could be observed.
Danger during the illness was the appearance of drowsiness. The patient was not allowed to fall asleep, because if he falls into sleep, he will no longer wake up. If a person remained alive for a day, then he could recover.
Immunity and treatment
Treatment of sweating in medieval England seemed possible, however, the method was far from medical. Doctors of that time insisted that the room should have a moderate and constant temperature, that the patient should be dressed according to the weather, he should not be cold or hot, only this way the person could increase his chances of recovery. The opinion that it was necessary to sweat was a mistake - this only aggravated the condition.
It is worth noting that immunity was not developed against prickly heat; a recovered person could get sick repeatedly and more than once. In this case, he was doomed - the affected immune system was no longer restored.
Victims of sweating
Usually an epidemic broke out in the warm season and hit people selectively. Surprising is the fact that for the most part the victims of heatering were healthy and strong people from wealthy families. It is extremely rare for this disease to affect women, children, the elderly and weak men. If this disease struck them, then they surprisingly quickly and easily dealt with it.
It is worth noting that the disease ignored foreigners and people from the lower strata of the population, but the noble and healthy citizens dying away after a few hours.
Six aldermen, three sheriffs, two lords, natives of the royal family, Crown Prince Arthur of Wales, representatives of the Tudor dynasty, beloved son of Henry VIII and sons of Charles Brandon - all of them were victims of prickly heat. This ailment took people by surprise. That is why it is said that in the Middle Ages, sweating disease is an almost incurable disease. No one knew about the reasons, nor about the right treatment, nor about who would be the “victim” next time. Anyone who was full of energy yesterday could be dead the next day. Even today, the epidemic of prickly heat has left many unsolved questions.
The French philosopher Emil Littre correctly noted:
Suddenly, a deadly infection emerges from an unknown depth and cuts off human generations with its destructive breath, just as a reaper cuts ears. The reasons are unknown, the action is terrible, the spread is immeasurable: nothing can cause more alarm. It is miraculous that mortality will be limitless, the devastation will be endless, and that the outbreak of fire will stop only due to a lack of food.
The last time an epidemic of prickly heat appeared in the world in 1551. After no one heard about her, she disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared. And what we call today prickly heat differs radically from that terrible affliction, which hunted healthy and full of people with manic addiction.