Can anyone please send us interesting, exciting information on
the Black Plague of the medieval times? Can anyone compare and
contrast this plague to those of more modern times?( the plague
in India right now, etc.)  Our library only has a little
information in the encyclopedia and it's not very interesting.
thanks a lot,  Mary and Francesca

I can give you an example from Scandinavia ...

Following the recent outbreak of plague in Surat, India the Norwegian health
authorities adviced people to avoid this specific area if they planned a
trip to India. Norwegian doctors were adviced to think of the possibility of
plague if travellers returned from India with unfamiliar symptoms.
Furthermore, the authorities assured us that there was no danger that the
plague would cause any epidemic in Europe.

This in contrast to what happened 250 years ago, when there was a similar
plague epidemic in Sweden. The Norwegian authorities then adviced that the
best way to protect ourselves against spread of the disease was to shoot
all Swedes that tried to cross the border!

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Division for General Practice                   Voice: +47 55 20 61 42
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There is an interesting and informative book called "Plagues and
Peoples" (sorry I don't remember the author).  Either your library or
a local bookstore should have it.

--
Steven D. Litvintchouk
MITRE Corporation
202 Burlington Road
Bedford, MA  01730-1420

Fone:  (617)271-7753

Disclaimer:  As far as I am aware,
             the opinions expressed herein are not those of my employer.

Actually, bubonic plague is still found in the U.S.. They have a few cases each
year in northern Arizona (I live in southern Az. and it makes the papers now
and then). There are desert rats up there which can carry it.... their fleas or
whatever sometimes get onto a pet dog, which then gives it to the owner.
    The really interesting problem arises when the owner is a tourist, and
returns to his home state before the symptoms arise.... I read of one case
where the person checked into a New York City emergency room, and the poor
intern found out that his very first case was someone with the Black Death! (Of
course, they dosed him with antibiotics and all went well, but apparently it
beat the usual ER work!)