-Nadya Tamrin, Content Writer
The world is a warrior. It has overcome quite a lot of deadly phases throughout the centuries. Some of it’s bumpiest times were when the plague and Pandemics created a frightening alarm and killed millions of its population. The few deadliest diseases that attacked our planet rigorously are, Smallpox (1157 B.C. - 1980), Black Death (1347-1351), Spanish Flu (1918-1920), Cholera (1817-ongoing).
When an uncommon particle or symptom is identified in a patient, scientists, doctors, researchers gather in a lab to study the new matter together. Endoscope, X-ray, Sphygmomanometer are from one of the various technologies used to check inside the patient. Large amounts of data can be recorded in devices. Within a short period of time awareness is created all around the world via social media or news channels. It is possible to carry out the work successfully because of the technologies. Lifestyle has become so much more convenient due to such innovations that it should come to our curiosity; how did humans survive different plagues and diseases throughout history before the invention of modern technology?
The infectious and highly contagious disease that lasted 3000 years and took down about 300 million lives is the Small Pox. Due to the growth of civilization and expansion of trade routes the virus was able to spread widely. A Cotton Mather in Massachusetts learned about a technique called variolation from his slave which was a well-known treatment for smallpox at the time. Dried out smallpox scabs were blown into the nose of an unaffected individual, who would then contract a mild version of the disease. This lowered the death rate from 30% to 2%. A physician named John Haygarth published a set of rules for the people in order to reduce the spread of smallpox. Some of his rules were:
Unaffected individual should not touch or sit down near the infected being. 18 inches distance is safest.
Patients should not roam around the streets.
Sanitation should be strictly maintained.
Patient must not approach anyone until every scab has fallen and his body is washed properly.
Bubonic Plague, famously known as Black Death is a disease from 1347 caused by the Bacterium Yersinia Pestis which took down a greater toll of life than any war till that time. Patients of this disease would suffer from swelling on groins or armpits, fever, vomit, diarrhea. This disease would spread by mere touch. Officials ordered sailors to remain quarantined inside their ships until it was clear that they were not infected. Due to lack of biological knowledge people thought the plague was God’s punishment and so performed religious or spiritual practices to try to prevent the disease. Few ineffective initiatives were taken such as, animal cures, Potion, Fumigation, religious cures. The king ordered pits to be digged away from the city to keep it clean from dead body filth. The prevention methods used during the medieval time were flawed since the ancient authorities were reluctant to advance the model of physiology. “Ring around the Rosie”, a figurative rhyme was created to express the Black Death time period.
The 1918 Spanish Flu, one of the vigorous airborne pandemics in history had killed more US soldiers than World War 1. Flu is a common disease but when a contagious new strain occurs people find it hard to fight back. Citizens were ordered to wear masks and maintain social distancing. Street car signs warned, “Spit spreads death”. A public service announcement in San Francisco mentioned, “The man or woman or child who will not wear a mask now is a dangerous slacker.” One sign in California threatened, “Wear a mask or go to Jail.” Newspapers used cartoon illustration to grab attention towards the “wear a mask” rule. Doctors at the time unknowingly advised 30g aspirin, whereas over 4g is considered toxic now. Starting in 1817 Cholera, an infectious disease that created 7 pandemics is still continuing. Cholera is caused by bacteria called vibrio cholerae that lives in salty or warm water. It spreads through consuming liquid contaminated with the bacteria and raw fish. Patients of this disease suffer from diarrhea and rapid loss of fluid and electrolytes, dehydration, leg cramps. People were advised to maintain sanitation properly as they believed the bacteria can be anywhere, air, water surface.
In 1832, it was suggested that cholera can be treated by filling saline into the victim’s vein. During the 3rd Cholera Pandemic in 1854, John Snow, an epidemiologist persuaded the officials to remove the pump handles. It instantly lowered the cholera rate in the region. The image is a notice printed in 1817 to create awareness. Past citizens of the globe have used social awareness, religious beliefs and minimum biological knowledge to survive the diseases. The use of technology, medicine and hospital treatments were very inadequate as doctors, scientists and researchers were yet to modernize and to invent new medicines. On a planet full of peculiar things, a virus is likely to come up every now and then. But the way humankind dealt with it has increased its efficiency overtime. Scientists now have a wide range of technology to help investigate substances and research on diseases that are yet to occur in order to take prevention which has saved millions of lives. So even if we are living in hard times now, it is important to look back and see how far we have come from.
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