Covers the history of twelve important diseases and addresses public health responses and societal upheavals.

Chronicles the ways disease outbreaks shaped traditions and institutions of Western civilization.Explains the effects, causes, and outcomes from past epidemics.Describes a dozen diseases to show how disease control either was achieved or failed.Makes clear the interrelationship between diseases and history.Presents material in a compelling, clear, and jargon-free prose for a wide audience.Provides a picture of the best practices for dealing with disease outbreaks.

Irwin W. Sherman, The Scripps Research Institute, USA.

Preface vii

1 The Legacy of Disease: Porphyria and Hemophilia 1

2 The Irish Potato Blight 19

3 Cholera 33

4 Smallpox: the Speckled Monster 50

5 Bubonic Plague 68

6 Syphilis: the Great Pox 83

7 Tuberculosis: the Peoples Plague 104

8 Malaria 130

9 Yellow Fever: the Saffron Scourge 143

10 The Great Influenza 158

11 AIDS: the 21st Century Plague 174

Epilogue 195

Notes 199

Index 207