One of the great
hardships for all Europeans in the Caribbean area during the Golden Age of
Piracy was the threat of disease. Europe’s cooler climate meant that the
colonists had no inherited immunity to tropical diseases.
They did have immunity to
an impressive list of European diseases – some of which decimated the native population
of the New World. But that is a story for another time. Today we are looking at
the dreaded Yellow Fever.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Aedes_aegypti_bloodfeeding_CDC_Gathany.jpg)
Yellow Fever was a
disease that was brought to the Caribbean. It’s an African disease, carried by
African mosquitoes. But Europeans brought African slaves to the region, and
along with them came Yellow Fever.
Nowadays, when someone
gets severely sick, one of the first questions we ask is “What do they have?” In the 17th and 18th
centuries, this was impossible. Germs and viruses were completely unknown. Disease
was blamed on “bad air,” “bad water,” or occasionally on the constitution of
the patient himself. Today we know that the disease called Yellow Fever is a
blood-borne virus, carried in the saliva of infected female mosquitoes, and transferred
to the host during a bite. The virus grows for 3-6 days in the lymph glands,
and later attacks the liver. Back in the 17th century, people only knew that the victim was sick.
![YellowFeverVirus.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/YellowFeverVirus.jpg)
The first symptoms are sudden
onset of fever, chills, severe headache, back pain, general body aches, nausea,
and vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. Unfortunately,
these are also the symptoms of many other diseases. For most people, these symptoms
are all they experience. However, for a small percentage, the symptoms become
much worse.
In these people, the
virus goes on to cause internal bleeding, kidney failure, and liver damage. The
first two gave rise to the most common names used by pirates and their contemporaries…
Black vomit. The more polite term of Yellow Fever came in 1744, when it was
noticed that many victims turned yellow. (This was the result of liver damage,
something that was not understood at the time.)
If this seems overly
horrible, remember that there were no real official names for diseases at the
time. Sickness was known only by its symptoms. And the symptoms of Yellow Fever, with its two varieties, was more confusing than most.
Worse still was the fact
that the victim, having passed the flue-like early stage, felt that he was
getting better. Such people got up and began to go about their daily activities
– often to suddenly collapse and die of horrible symptoms while outside the
home, perhaps even in the middle of the street.
Because Yellow Fever in
the Caribbean and South America was directly caused by the importation of
slaves, it almost seems like a punishment for inhumane treatment of one’s
fellow man. While I don’t actually belie in divine retribution, it is ironic
that the forced importation of Africans first caused the disease, and then the
disease cause the importation of yet more African slaves, in a cycle of death.
![](https://img.medscapestatic.com/pi/meds/ckb/60/37560tn.jpg)
Yellow Fever was epidemic
in Africa, and because of this, Africans almost always suffered the milder form
of the disease. Those prone to the more lethal form had died early, and did not
have a good chance to pass on their genes. By the time the slave trade to the Caribbean began, some Africans even had inherited immunity
from mothers or other close family.
But Europeans had no
immunity, and because of this tended to get the more deadly form of the disease, which
kills 50% of those affected. The New World was home to many “bond servants” of
European ancestry, but work in sugar cane fields exposed them to mosquitoes that
carried the virus, and they died (along with their owners) in droves. Because
of this, African slaves became the preferred form of forced labor. And each new
shipment from West Africa had the potential to bring along a slightly new
strain of the disease.
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cKdj3M3chH4/S_MsN4MTRjI/AAAAAAAAAko/VAwvJ-tDQmo/s320/slaves.jpg)
The first confirmed
outbreak of the disease was on the island of Barbados in 1647. Another outbreak
occurred on the Yucatan Peninsula in 1648, and Brazil suffered from the disease
in 1685. And it was not confined to the tropics for long. As early as 1688 an
outbreak occurred in New York. How many other outbreaks occurred we may never
know. The disease may have gone untreated countless times, or have been treated
by local midwives or barber-surgeons who did not write about what happened.
Early treatment was
whatever the locals thought might work, and ranged from herbs, to bleeding to
drinking the urine of someone who had survived the disease. The latter was the
only one which might have had some effect. Even today, there is no cure for the
disease. Only the symptoms can be treated.
![](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/4f/6d/11/4f6d119b5c0152723a6ec6ec5d75a911.jpg)
Of course, today we have vaccinations.
Since Yellow Fever had such a high mortality rate, it was studied extensively
by scientists. But the fact that the
source of infection was mosquitoes, not infected humans, was not discovered
until 1900. Vaccines were developed in the 1930’s. But even today, eradication
of and protection from mosquitoes remains the primary protection against Yellow Fever.
So what has this to do with
pirates? Yellow Fever was the number-one cause of death for British military
personnel in the Caribbean for over a hundred years. In 1704, a soldier
stationed in Jamaica was 7 times more likely to die during his tour of duty
than a similar soldier in New York. Such losses cut the strength of garrisons and
reduced the effectiveness of Royal Navy ships.
So when enemies were
near, Caribbean settlements sought protection from anyone who carried weapons,
and sometimes this meant pirates. Pirates protected Jamaica from the Spanish during the 1600's,
and this relationship led to years of under-the-table dealings between
Gentlemen of Fortune and a string of shady Royal Governors.
And with less military
keeping law and order, piracy had a better chance to bloom. And a populace that
faced shorter life-spans was more likely to decide to live for the moment – and
that’s the motto of pirates: A short life, but a happy one.
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lubfBJdUWYA/U0xglGZfhUI/AAAAAAAABP8/TDKSdQEhF8A/s1600/D.jpg)
And Barty Roberts certainly got his wish - plus, his death was quicker than dying from disease or by hanging.
ReplyDeletebyreyf7urhyuighrbufhurihughbguihguibtrtghilguthgatuiahgeu this is true old english enjoy translating dicl
DeleteThere are some natural remedies that can be used in the prevention and elimination of diabetes totally. However, the single most important aspect of a diabetes control plan is adopting a wholesome lifestyle Inner Peace, Nutritious and Healthy Diet, and Regular Physical Exercise. A state of inner peace and self-contentment is essential to enjoying a good physical health and overall well-being. The inner peace and self contentment is a just a state of mind.People with diabetes diseases often use complementary and alternative medicine. I was diagnosed with diabetes .It was at work and feeling unusually tired and sleepy. I borrowed a cyclometer from a co-worker and tested at 760. Went immediately to my doctor and he gave me prescriptions like: Insulin ,Sulfonamides,Thiazolidinediones but Could not get the cure rather to reduce the pain but bring back the pain again. i found a woman testimony name Comfort online how Dr Akhigbe cure her HIV and I also contacted the doctor and after I took his medication as instructed, I am now completely free from diabetes by doctor Akhigbe herbal medicine.So diabetes patients reading this testimony to contact his email drrealakhigbe@gmail.com or his Number +234 802 501 2866 He also use his herbal herbs to diseases like:SPIDER BITE, SCHIZOPHRENIA, LUPUS,EXTERNAL INFECTION, COMMON COLD, JOINT PAIN, EPILEPSY,STROKE,TUBERCULOSIS ,STOMACH DISEASE. ECZEMA, GOUT, PROGENITOR, EATING DISORDER, LOWER RESPIRATORY INFECTION, DIABETICS,HERPES,HIV/AIDS, ;ALS, CANCER , TUMOR, HEART HEALTH, MENINGITIS,HEPATITIS A AND B,ASTHMA, HEART DISEASE, CHRONIC DISEASE. NAUSEA VOMITING OR DIARRHEA,KIDNEY DISEASE. HEARING LOSSDr Akhigbe is a good man and he heal anybody that comes to him. here is email drrealakhigbe@gmail.com and his Number +2348025012866
ReplyDeleteexcellent blog here.
ReplyDeleteA great read
ReplyDeletefascinating information
ReplyDeleteGreat info.
ReplyDeletevery awesome blog post
ReplyDeletevery good post
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy reading
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI really loved reading your blog. I also found your posts very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this blog, I really enjoyed reading your post.
ReplyDeleteThis is the exact information I am been searching.
ReplyDeleteSuper site! I am Loving it!!
Thanks, have a good day. Feel free to visit my website;V
ReplyDeleteThanks for such a fantastic blog.
ReplyDeleteVery informative article also check my blog post.
ReplyDeleteIm taking your sustenance in addition, Thanks
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing this type of useful articles to read.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice post! I'm so happy to read this
ReplyDeleteYour style is very unique. Appreciate you for posting Valuable tips
ReplyDeleteWow, wonderful weblog format! The overall look of your website is wonderful, as neatly as the content material!
Thank you for the good story. Considered a great and very useful content.
ReplyDeleteWow, superb blog layout! Magnificent, let alone the content fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI cannot thank you enough for the article post. Great.
ReplyDeleteI extremely like this post.Thanks for the detailed you provide.
ReplyDeleteFor certain I will review out more posts. Keep on sharing dude.
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely informative. Your site is useful.
ReplyDeleteI’ll be coming back to your website for more soon.
ReplyDeleteEverything is very open with a really clear explanation of the challenges.
ReplyDeleteYou put truly extremely accommodating data. Keep it up.
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing such a great bog it is very helpful.
ReplyDeleteThis blog posts are more interesting and impressive.
ReplyDelete