A History of Epidemic Pestilences: From the Earliest Ages, 1495 Years Before the Birth of our Saviour to 1848: With Researches into Their Nature, Causes, and ProphylaxisBascome, Edward
History
A History of Epidemic Pestilences: From the Earliest Ages, 1495 Years Before the Birth of our Saviour to 1848: With Researches into Their Nature, Causes, and Prophylaxis
Bascome, Edward
Epidemics -- History
A.D. 1410. Epidemic pestilence broke out at Seville this year;
it commenced in Niebla, Gibraleon, and Trigueros, and extended thence
to Seville, where it raged from March unto August. On the 30th of May
and on the 5th of August an earthquake was felt at Barcelona, and
epidemic pestilence prevailed, which lasted until the anniversary of
the Nativity.
CHAPTER IV.
FROM A.D. 1418 TO 1530.
A.D. 1418, Strasburgh was visited by the ‘Dancing Plague,’
and the same infatuation existed amongst the people there, as in the
towns of Belgium and the Lower Rhine A.D. 1374; many who were
seized on seeing the affected, excited attention at first by their
confused and absurd behaviour, and then by their constantly following
the swarms of dancers. These were seen day and night passing through
the streets, accompanied by musicians playing on bagpipes, and by
innumerable spectators attracted by curiosity, to whom were added
anxious parents and relations who came to look after those among the
misguided multitude who belonged to their respective families.
Imposture and profligacy played their part in this city also, but the
morbid delusion itself seems to have predominated. On this account
religion could only bring provisional aid, and therefore the Town
Council benevolently took an interest in the afflicted: they divided
them into separate parties, to each of which they appointed responsible
superintendents, to protect them from harm, and perhaps also to
restrain their turbulence. They were thus conducted on foot and in
carriages to the chapels of St. Vitus, near Zabern, and Rotestein,
where priests were in attendance to influence their misguided minds
by masses and other religious ceremonies. After divine worship was
completed, they were led in solemn procession to the altar, where they
made some small offering of alms, and where, it is probable, many,
through the influence of devotion and the sanctity of the place, were
cured of this lamentable aberration.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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