Despite its name: The Spanish influenza or Spanish Lady, modern researchers think the 1918-1919 flu pandemic began somewhere in Asia and it was of swine origin and a new or very long dormant mutation. Like the sweating sickness, it could kill its victims rapidly, although not as fast as the late medieval outbreaks of "merry at dinner, dead by supper" strains.
While most flu pandemics have higher mortality rates among the very young and the very old, the 1918-19 outbreak seemed to find its more vulnerable victims in the 18-40 age group. Some researchers theorize that a late 1890's and a circa 1902 flu outbreaks might have confered some kind of immunity to the older sector of the population who survived one or both. Another theory is that many in the 18-40 age group in Europe were soldiers and war-workers whose immune systems were under especial strain. We don't know enough about the sweating sickness, but it too seemed to have many young and middle-aged adults among its victims and it isn't too much of a stretch for us to think that it might have been a very rapid, very virilent influenza strain. Cindy Abel -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Hilary Davidson Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 2:25 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [h-cost] Re: Spanish flu The Spanish influenza pandemic killed at least 20 million people worldwide after world war I, even in isolated corners, and some estimates put it as high as 100 million. It was the worst mass illness since the Black Death. A friend who does research on malaria once told me it originated in Europe, which was a surprise because I'd always thought it was tropical. Apparently it was unknown in tropical areas until European settlers reached there. He also said that it's looking like wormwood - active ingredient in absinthe - is as effective as quinine for easing attacks. But I'm not sure what his sources are. >> Interesting. My daughter mentioned malaria but I told her it >> couldn't be = > that because it's tropical. Cholera was >mentioned as well. I was = > thinking along the lines of the horrible influenza in the U.S. in = > 19...teens that killed so >many. Wasn't it called the Spanish > Influenza? > > Not just in the US - my father's uncle, a Derbyshire vicar, died of it > in = > 1918 after taking many other victims' funerals, and it was widespread > on = the European continent. > > I think malaria (ague) and cholera were recognised diseases in the > 16th = century, so the sweating sickness must have been something > different. > > _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
