Schultheisz Emil: Traditio Renovata. Tanulmányok a középkor és a reneszánsz orvostudományáról / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 21. (Budapest, 1997)
24. Short history of epidemics in Hungary until the Great Cholera Epidemic of 1831
Z^oo¡ from Austria, Bavaria, from the borders of the Rhine to provide for manpower having become scarce, but by doing so they also changed fundamentally the ethnical face of the country. IV. We receive a very complex, complicated image when examining on the basis of the data available what effect — primarily moral effect — the frequent epidemics had exercised from the first outbreak of Black Death on the population itself. As mentioned the flagellant movement had started from Northern Hungary, but our sources contain no information on its course and details specially in Hungary. But we have data which show that at the beginning of the XVth century already the plague — and other heavy epidemics — considerably intensified antagonism between the different parts of the population, as the ragings of the epidemics afflicted the common people much more, than the wealthy ones. This applies both to the number of diseases and to the ration of mortality resulting from it. Saltmarsh also pointed out in 1941 already that this is no unimportant factor on a world scale either; he said that the 1381 revolution in England could only blaze forth in a society ruined by epidemics of the plague, gone down more and more socially 2 9. Close connection between the economical-social situation and epidemics was very well observed by Sydenham, describing the London plague in the year 1665 as "The Poore's Plague" 3 0. As centuries went by increase of anatagonism between the poor and rich caused by the epidemics became more and more distinct. This was the situation in Hungary also, where the simple people turned even against measures of the central power or of local authorities which in fact served also their interests. The backwardness of the people, their clinging to customs developed during centuries and the heavy economic consequences of the necessary measures against epidemics taken by central authorities explain that measures against epidemics met in the XVII and XVIIIth centuries, but even in the XlXth century practically without exception with the unanimous resistance of the population, which in some places took the shape of revolts. Famine very often appeared conjointly with epidemics, either before them or as a consequence. Thus Creighton writes e.g. "in Scotland the fever (i.e. plague) of 1622—23 was directly connected with famine..." 3 1 The poor people having naturally no considerable reserves of food, the people suffering from famine, dreading the contagion in their desperation not seldom resorted to the refusal of obedience, which went from the neglect of the decrees to open revolt. Thus e.g. in 1598 the Black Death and famine ravaged together large territories of Hungary and thereafter the rule of the feudal order was upset for a time. The hiding deputy sheriff-lieutenant of Sopron county wrote in 1585: "Not only the administration of Sopron county ceased to exist, but the rule of law disappeared in all parts of Hungary where there was plague". Little local risings, 2 9 Saltmarsh, J.: Plague and Economic decline in England etc. The Cambridge Historical Journal, 1941. Vol. VII. No. 1., 23 ff. 3 0 Owen, G. R.: The Poore's Plague. Ann. Med. Hist. 1926. Vol. VIII., 249. 3 1 Creighton, Ch.: A History of Epidemics in Britain. Vol. II., Cambridge, 1894, 30.
