Re: Black Death timeline

Julian Richards <...> wrote:
On Sat, 15 Nov 2008 03:56:18 +0000 (UTC), Paul J Gans <gans@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:


Perhaps, but if propagation of the plague depended on town
rats hobnobbing with farm rats who then hung out with other
fun rats, etc., until some farm rats got close to rats in
the next town -- the plague would take years to spread.

There are several tales of the time which seem to let the rats off the
hook regarding the spread between towns.

There is a place (near Hergist Ridge?) where the town had the plague
but the rural community did not. To keep business going, food was left
on the hillside by the farm people and later the town people collected
it and left the money behind in a dish of vinegar. If rats were
responsible then this procedure would have not protected the farm
people.

My source for this is my own notoriously bad memory and a Radio 4
programme from some time ago.

There was another case that involved a village that sealed itself off
from the outside world and the only victim to the plague was a girl
who had a boyfriend in the next village that she secretly met.

Of course. On the other hand, fleas as a carrier don't get
off the hook. It is far easier for an itinerant to unknowingly
carry fleas than rats.

--
--- Paul J. Gans
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Black Death timeline
    ... rats hobnobbing with farm rats who then hung out with other ... There is a place where the town had the plague ... carry fleas than rats. ...
    (soc.history.medieval)
  • Re: Black Death timeline
    ... rats hobnobbing with farm rats who then hung out with other ... There is a place where the town had the plague ... carry fleas than rats. ...
    (soc.history.medieval)
  • Re: Black Death timeline
    ... rats hobnobbing with farm rats who then hung out with other ... There is a place where the town had the plague ... carry fleas than rats. ...
    (soc.history.medieval)
  • Re: Black Death timeline
    ... rats hobnobbing with farm rats who then hung out with other ... There is a place where the town had the plague ... carry fleas than rats. ...
    (soc.history.medieval)
  • Re: Black Death timeline
    ... rats hobnobbing with farm rats who then hung out with other ... There is a place where the town had the plague ... said the Central Asian pool of fleas etc. lived on burrowing animals. ...
    (soc.history.medieval)