Cold

In Cold, a total of 12 epidemic events are known so far.

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Time

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Disease

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Plague

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Events

	Date	Summary		Source	Translation	T

1323, August – 1323, September

Fever and headaches of most people in Florence and all over Italy, low mortality.

Nel detto anno MCCCXXIII, a l’uscità d’agosto e a l’entrar di settembre, fu uno vento a favognano, per lo quale amalorono di freddo con alquanti dì con febbre e dolore di testa la maggiore parte degli uomini e de le femmine in Firenze: e questa pestilenza fu generale per tutte le città d’Italia, ma poca gente ne morì; ma in Francia ne morirono assai.

In this year 1323, at the end of August and in early September, there was a Western wind. Because of this, most people in Florence, women and men alike, fell ill with a cold and some days of fever and headaches. And this disease was everywhere in Italy, but few people died of it. But in France, many more died. (Translation: Martin Bauch)

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1323, August – 1323, October

A fever disease in Florence and all of Italy that causes few mortality, mainly among the elderly, and loss of appetite. It ends in mid-October 1323

Nel detto anno [1323] e del mese d’agosto e di settembre fu una infermità quasi generale di [p. 134] freddo, ed alquanti pigliava loro la febbre, e perdeano l’appetito, ed alquanti ne morieno, cioè vecchi e vecchie, e fu la detta malattia quasi in tutta Italia, e come venne mezzo ottobre restò.

In the aforementioned year [1323] in the month of August and September there was a general disease of cold, and many were hit with fever and lost their appetite. And some died, old men and women. And this disease was all over Italy, and it stopped mid of October. (Translation: Martin Bauch)

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1327, February

Fever and cold all over Italy with low mortality; astrological explanation.

Nel detto anno e mese di febbraio fu per tutta Italia una generale corruzione di febbre mossa per freddo, onde i più de le genti ne sentirono, ma pochi ne morirono. Dissono gli astrologhi naturali che di ciò fu cagione l’aversione di Mars e di Saturno.

In the said year (1327) in the month of February there was a general corruption of fever caused by cold all over Italy, and most people felt it, but only few died. The astrologers said that the aversion of Mars and Saturn was the reason for this. (Translation: Martin Bauch)

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1357, November 1 – 1358, January 31

Clear weather around Florence causes a common cold with considerable mortality

Essendo dal cominciamento del verno continovato fino a gennaio un’ aria sottilissima, chiara e serena, e mantenuta sanza ravolgimento di nuvoli o di venti, oltre all’ usato naturale modo, per sperienza del fatto si conobbe che da questa aria venne una influenza, che poco meno che tutti i corpi umani della città, e del contado e distretto di Firenze, e delle circustanti vicinanze, fece infreddare, e durare il freddo avelenato ne’ corpi assai più lungamente che ll’ usato modo. E per dieta o per altri argomenti che’ medici [p. 167] sapessono trovare, no potieno avacciare la liberagione, né da quello liberare le loro persone, e molti dopo la lunga malatia ne morivano; e vegnendo apresso la primavera, molti morirono di subitana morte. Dissesi per li astrolaghi che ffu per influenza di costellazioni, altri per troppa sottigliezza d’aria nel tempo della vernata.

From the beginning of winter until the end of January [1358], a gentle weather (air), clear and sunny, persisted without any clouds or winds – very much beyond what is natural. By experience one knew that this weather exterted an influence on all human bodies in the city and the surrounding countryside of Florence, and let them catch a cold. And this poisonous cold stayed in the bodies much longer than usual. And the doctors could not provide a solution from diets and other measures, and many of the persons afflicted died after a long disease. And as spring came close, many died an instant death. The astrologuers said this was because of the influence of constellations, others said because of the subtile air during wintertime. (Translation: Martin Bauch)

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1387, March

A influenza-like epidemic breaks out around the middle of March in the bishoprics of Cologne and Liège and in the counties of Loon and Namur. Affected people cought a lot, experience hoarness, and some of them die.

Anno Domini M°CCCLXXXVII, circa medium marcii, venit quedam pestis super cunctum populum in episcopatu Leodiensi, Coloniensi, comitatu Losensi et Namureensi, tussis scilicet et raucitas, unde plures mortui sunt. Et pauci tamen citius sanabantur aliis eruentando per nares vel alio modo.

In the year of the Lord 1387, a kind of plague affected everyone in the bishoprics of Liège and Cologne, and in the counties of Namur and Looz. It was characterized by coughing and hoarseness, and several people died. Some healed very quickly, others expectorated a lot through the nostrils or otherwise. (Translation: Thomas Labbé)

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1404, April – 1404, July

An epidemic with influenza-like symptoms breaks out in Flanders. While the weather is rather cold, people start to cough and to have headaches. Only very few die. During autumn the cattle get sick with the same symptoms.

Eodem anno mense aprili, circa initium mensis, ventus venit ab aquilone, cuncta virentia, pullulationes herbarum, arborum, omnesque virgulti fores urendo depasceret et velut solis ardor foenum aestivo sub tempore marcescere faceret, unde et eo anno cerasa, poma, pyra et huiusmodi fructus pauci et in magna caristia habiti sunt. Insuper et ex hujusmodi vento praecordia hominum et jumentorum tacta et algido rigore congelata, velut quodam fumo sulphureo usta constringebantur, ut omne fere hominum genus, cujuscunque sexus, aetatis seu conditionis fuerit, mox instante eodem mense aprili et sequentibus mayo et julio intollerabilem passiones tussis, cum raucitate pectoris et maximo capitis dolore irremediabiliter pateretur, hujusmodi intoxicativa materia praeconcepta, paucis exinde morientibus, etiam sequenti autumpno ipsa bruta animalia, praecipue vaccae, foetosae et hujusmodi, ut putatur, passionis materia raucefactis praecordis atque constrictis, ut nec cibum, nec potum capere possent, sed miserabiliter mugientes quamplurimae diversis in locis morientur.

(Translation needed)

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1414, March VN: 100.000

An epidemic of influenza (?) breaks out for three weeks in Paris, affecting 100 000 persons. People loose appetite, have heavy fever and cannot stop coughing and shaking. Constant cough injures testicules by men, and makes women prematurely abort. However nobody dies. When people get better, they loose a lot of blood. Sick people need six weeks to recover

Si advint par le plaisir de Dieu qu'un mauvais air corrompu chut sur le monde, qui plus de cent mille personnes à Paris mit en tel état qi'is perdirent le boire et le manger, le repousser, et avoient très fortes fièvre deux ou trois fois le jour, et espécialement toutes fois qu'ils mangeaient, et leur semblaient toutes choses quelconques amères et très mauvaises et puantes; toujours tremblaient où qu'ils fussent. Et avec ce, qui pis était, on perdait tout le pouvoir de son corps, qu'on osait toucher à quoi de nulle part que ce fût, tant étaient grevés ceux qui de ce mal étaient atteints; et dura bien sans cesser trois semaines ou plus, et commença à bon escient à l'entrée du mois de mars dudit an, et le nommait-on le tac ou le horion. Et ceux qui point n'en avaient ou qui en étaient guéris, disaient par ébatement: "En as-tu? Par moi foi, tu as chanté: ' Votre c.n. a la toux, commère'". Car avec tout le mal devant dit, on avait la toux si fort et le rhume à l'enrouure, qu'on ne chantait qui rien fût de hautes messes à Paris. Mais sur tous les maux la toux était si cruelle à tous, jour et nuit, qu'aucuns hommes par force de tousser furent rompus par les génitoires toute leur vie, et aucune femmes qui étaient grosses, qui n'étaient pas à terme, eurent leurs enfants sans compagnie de personne, par force de tousser, qu'il convenait mourir à grand martyre et mère et enfant. Et quand se venait sur la guérison, ils jetaient grande foison de sang bête par la bouche et par le nez et par dessous, qui moult les ébahissait, et néanmoins personne n'en mourait; mais à peine en pouvait personne être guéri, car depuis que l'appétit de manger fut aux personnes revenu, si fut-il plus de six semaines après, avant qu'on fût nettement guéri; ni physicien nul ne savait dire quel mal c'était

If by the pleasure of God an evil and corrupt air fell upon the world, which more than a hundred thousand people in Paris put in such a state that they lost their drink and their food, pushed it back, and had very high fever two or three times a day, and especially all the time they ate, and seemed to them all things bitter and very bad and stinking; always trembled wherever they were. And with that which was worse, they lost all the power of their bodies, that they dared to touch anything from anywhere, so much was the burden on those who were afflicted with this evil; and it lasted well without ceasing for three weeks or more, and began in good time at the beginning of March of the said year, and was called the tac or horion. And those who did not have it or who were healed of it, said in amazement, "Have you any? By my faith, you have sung: 'Your n.c. has a cough, you gossip'". For, with all the evil before them, they coughed so loudly and had a cold so badly that they sang nothing of the high masses in Paris. But of all evils the cough was so cruel to all, day and night, that no man by force of coughing was broken by the genitories all his life, and no woman who was fat, who was not at term, had her children without company of anyone, by force of coughing, that it was convenient to die a great martyrdom and mother and child. And when it came to healing, they threw out a great abundance of silly blood through their mouth and nose and underneath, which moved them, and yet no one died from it; but scarcely could anyone be healed, for since the appetite for food had returned to the people, if it was more than six weeks later, before they were clearly healed; neither physicist nor any one knew how to tell what evil it was. (Translation: DeepL)

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1462, February

A flu-like epidemic in Bologna kills mainly the elderly

Del mese di febbraro per il gran freddo si scuoprono strane infirmitá et regnano molte febbri et catarri, di che molti vecchi moiono nella città che nel territorio.

In the month of February because of the severe cold one saw strange diseases and fevers and colds ravaged, which killed many elderly people in the city and the countryside. (Translation: Martin Bauch)

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References

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