Black Death

Posted on by

Probably one of the most famous pandemics is the Bubonic Plague or the Black Death. I was most familiar with the plague that swept Europe in the 1340s (primarily from The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. One of my favorites and one I reread almost once a year.)

But recent scholarship has discovered Yersina Pestis in Bronze Age Samples. This is a very old disease. The oldest human sample is 5000 years old but it is now estimated that the organism is probably 7000 years old. Wow. It is thought that the disease originated in Northern Eurasia but one of the Bronze Age samples is from England so the disease was already traveling.

But most of the graves found so far are individuals, not mass graves. What happened?

Well, the theory put forth in BBC History, Vol 23, is that the spread of the disease coincided with the rise of the Mongol empire in the thirteenth century. As they spread out, reaching even Italy, they carried some of their own provisions with them. Guess what loves grain? Rodents.

It has been known for some time that rodents and fleas were the disease’s vectors.

One of the goods Italy was importing was grain.

COVID traveled via airplanes. The Black Plague traveled by ship as goods and people went from country to country. It returned in waves and one estimate posits that half the population in Europe died. Certainly entire villages were wiped out.

The disease is still around and still lethal without treatment.

Plagues

Posted on by

After experiencing Covid this past week, I have a new interest in the plagues that have occurred throughout human history.

Some, like smallpox, have been eradicated in the wild. The last case occurred in 1978 when a lab worker was infected and died.

Smallpox has been around for over 3000 years; the exact beginnings are not known. It was widely feared, and with good reason.The ordinary type of smallpox was extremely lethal with death rates ranging between 30 and over 60 percent. Almost as feared was the scarring left in those who survived. The malignant form is even more lethal, causing death in almost 100 % of the time. Smallpox epidemics swept through the population in regular waves. George Washington was so nervous about the effect on the Continental troops that he insisted everyone be variegated (inoculated with matter from a pustule. Death could still occur but was less likely.)

Another greatly feared plague was the Bubonic, the so-called Black Death. It also swept over Europe in waves and is still the most lethal pandemic recorded, killing between 75 and 200 million people. Estimates of death rates in Europe range between 45 and 60%. The Hemmoraghic form had a mortality rate of between 90 to 95%. Entire villages were wiped out. The loss of so much population created tremendous economic and social upheaval and, arguably, contributed to the rise of the middle class.

The Black Death is so-called because it causes the flesh to die and turn black. Because the Bubonic Plague (called that because of the swellings, or buboes) is bacterial, it is treated with antibiotics and is now curable.

Influenza. There have been six pandemics in the last 140 years, with the 1918 pandemic being the worst. Millions died and millions more were sickened. Like COVID, it is a respiratory disease. Severe cases still cause death. Because it is viral, antibiotics do not work. A new vaccine shot must be taken every year as the virus mutates quickly.

And then we come to COVID. Vaccinated and boosted, my case was not terrible. I felt awful the first day but then the illness moderated to nothing worse than a bad cold.

Currently Reading – week of June 13

Posted on by

Another crazy week. A high school reunion infected myself, my husband, and a number of other friends with Covid. Light cases all but still an interruption in our usual routines.

This week I read When Blood Lies by C.S. Harris.



F

I strongly recommend this series, which begins with What Angels Fear.“ These historical mysteries take place in the Regency and follow Sebastian St, Cyr.

When Blood Lies is number seventeen or eighteen.

After years of searching for his mother, Sebastian finally locates her in Paris living under the name Sophie Cappello. He and his family travel to Paris and Sebastian makes an arrangement to meet her. He has many questions, including about the identity of his biological father. But just hours before the meeting, she is murdered. Despite being warned off the investigation, and seeing both his life and the lives of his family threatened, Sebastian (or Devlin, as he is also called), persists.

The mystery is set against Napoleon’s escape and return from Elba and the heightened tensions his imminent arrival in Paris brings.

I read and write historical mysteries because I love the historical details included in the story. I did not know that the armies went over to Napoleon instead of fighting him and he took Paris without a single shot being fired.

Another excellent mystery.

Paper money

Posted on by

The history of paper money is far more involved and less linear than any of us might expect. We use it without really thinking about all the thought, and all the changes that have gone into the bills we use now.

Because coins are heavy and difficult to transport, the search for an easier form of currency began early, especially in far-flung trading networks where carrying large amounts of cash was impractical.

Leather, parchment and other durable substances were used. They were not paper money, as we think of it. These bills acted as bills of credit or promissory notes for the transaction of business. Paper money is thought to have begun in China using the inner bark of mulberry trees. (I guess in this case money really did grow on trees.)

Letters of credit and promissory notes were widely used in Europe during the Middle Ages. They were backed up usually by specie. The shift toward using these banknotes in Europe occurred in the mid-17th century. But the issuing of such notes was not centralized. Banks and other groups (such as the Knights Templar) issued their own.

. In the United States, notes were issued by different banks, even the different states. There were more than 7000 different varieties.. In 1861, the Treasury Department began printing ‘Treasury notes’, partially to help fund the Civil War. But the other banks and institutions continued printing there own notes; US government decreed these notes were subject to government authorization. The law was not suspended until 1932.

Although paper money is lighter to carry, it is also less durable. Counterfeiting has been and continues to be an ongoing problem. To combat the problem, various changes were instituted. The Secret Service was established in the 1860s. In 1929, the design for the bills was standardized. Paper and ink have been changed a few times to make them harder to copy and, most recently, the pictures have been moved off center.

The history of paper money is far more involved and interesting than we realize.money

Currently Reading – week June 7

Posted on by

I read only one book this week. It has been a crazy time with High School reunions, weddings, graduation and more.

Anyway, this week, I read Sing it to her bones. I try to read books written by people I know.

I have to say I loved it.

Hannah Ives is recovering from cancer. She goes to visit her sister in law and while walking the dog discovers a body in the cistern of a nearby abandoned farm. As she begins to poke into the murder, for murder it is, Hannah’s own life become at risk. She is warned away several times and then a van drives her off the road and into a pond. She just survives that, but other, more dangerous attempts soon follow.

At the same time, her husband has been accused of sexual harassment. Hannah does not know whether to believe his protestations of innocence or not.

The story is flavored with sailing lore and tips, and the sail boat plays an important part at the end.

I will definitely continue this series.

Currently Reading -May 30

Posted on by

This week I read the third in the Gunnie Rose series, the Russian Cage, by Charlaine Harris.

A coded letter from Lizbeth’s sister Felicia tells her Eli is in jail. Lizbeth immediately takes the train to the Holy Russian Empire to rescue him. Once there, She is thrust into a power struggle between Alexie, the tsar and the Grand Duke who is trying to take power.

Much bloodshed ensues but the book ends with a wedding. Very enjoyable.

The second book is Three Debts Paid by Anne Perry.

Perry is now on the second generation of the Pitt family, following the investigations of Daniel Pitt, an up and coming young lawyer. Marion Ford-Croft is now a full-fledged pathologist working under another woman, Eve Hall, who has distinguished herself in the field. Daniel and Marion pursue their specialities to identify and catch a killer, nicknamed in the papers as the Rainy Day slasher. The victims are slim young women. So far, no one has seen the murderer or even has an idea whom it might be.

I enjoy these although not as much as the original Pitts.

Money

Posted on by

We are so accustomed to money, the ease of using it and its ubiquity, that we forget that money as a concept had to be invented. And although money is thought to have been invented before 2000 B.C.E. in Babylon, the use of money in the United States was still not standardized in the Federalist Period (roughly late eighteenth century to early nineteenth.) Will Rees, my detective, uses French sous, Spanish pieces of eight (so called because it was formed into eight section that could be broken off), English pounds and more. The new United States created its own money in 1792 but it took many years for for the new money to become common enough for use.

Paper money was used first in China and was soon used by other countries as well. The problem with paper money is this; by itself it is worth nothing. It is not like a piece of gold or silver which at least has the intrinsic value of the metal. Paper money, therefore, is supposed to be back up by reserves of something that has value, such as gold. Otherwise, countries can print paper money to pay with, but the money is virtually worthless. This happened during the American Revolution when, as one point, the Continental dollar was worth only 1/40 of the face value printed on the bill.

The gold standard was officially adopted in the United States in 1900 and abandoned in 1971.

So, the question becomes, what did people use before money? Shells spring to mind. But the value has to be agreed upon by both parties. Imagine going to the grocery story and haggling over every single item in your cart. Barter then becomes the major factor. Even when using a valuable metal such as gold or precious gems, both sides of a transaction have to agree on how much value to assign to the items. Standards – how many grains of gold equals what – have been attempted do achieve uniformity so that all parties can agree on how much a dollar, or a Euro, or, in the past, a franc or a lira are worth.

As complicated as money can be (just try to price an American dollar against a British pound day by day), living without money would be a nightmare.

Currently Reading – Week of May 22

Posted on by

Last week was a crazy week. Instead of choosing my reading material carefully, as I usually do, I quickly picked up second books in two different series.

The first one was Charlaine Harris’ Longer Fall.

In this sequel to An Easy Death, Gunnie Lizbeth Rose is hired on a new crew tasked with protecting a large trade to the town of Sally in Dixie. The train is derailed and as Rose searches the carnage for the whereabouts of her old crew, she meets Eli Savarov, the Russian Grigori. They join forces to find the crate and, if possible, safeguard its contents.

Lizbeth is almost immediately confronted with several problems. The mores in Dixie are very different than what she is use to. Required to wear a skirt and hose and carry a purse. she and Eli must pretend they are married.

Dixie also runs on slavery. Lizbeth’s good friend Galilee has escaped from this town and the Ballards, the ruling family.

Plenty of bloodshed, betrayal as well as magic; I liked this one even better than the first. A winner.

The second book is another second: Death of a Starling by Linda Norlander.

Our intrepid poet continues to investigate in the school shooting in Cascade. She is warned repeatedly to let it drop but, although she considers it, she doggedly continues despite repeated threats against her.

Why is everyone afraid to even speak about the shooting, let alone answer questions about the teacher and the alleged shooter?

Tess, a student at the High School, tells Jamie that there is something rotten in Cascade and then disappears.

What is going on?

Highly Recommended.

Goodreads Giveaway and Interview

Posted on by

The Giveaway for Murder, Sweet Murder, ends next Tuesday so be sure and join the lottery. I am giving away ten copies of the hardcover book.

I had a wonderful interview with Fran Lewis on May 25. I always enjoy talking to her and she asks such great questions. The second link is to her review of the book. Thank you Fran!

https://www.blogtalkradio.com/fran-lewis/2022/05/26/murder-sweet-murder
Review:  https://tillie49.wordpress.com/2022/05/26/murder-sweet-murder/

Currently Reading

Posted on by

Week of May 21

I read three good books this week, all purchased at Malice in April.

First up, Watch her by Edwin Hill.

The second Hester Thursby mystery. Hest, and her friend Detective Angela White are at a university function when another guest, Jennifer Mason, mentions their mansion has been broken into. Hester and Angela investigate and Hester begins to doubt the Matsons’s story. Investigation into finances connected to the university reveals financial malfeasance. How are they linked? A murder ramps up the urgency.

I really enjoy these mysteries, not least because Hester does a lot of research (she is a researcher) that reminds me strongly of library reference work.

The second book I read is An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris. I have enjoyed all of her works and this one does not disappoint.

The former United States has been broken up into five regions: Britannia (still allied with Great Britain), Dixie (the Southern States), Texoma (Texas and environs), New America, and the Holy Russian Empire (California, Oregon and Washington State). Lizbeth Rose is a gunnie from Texoma, a hired gun that signs onto crews tasked with transporting refugees from Texoma through the a bandit-ridden land to New America. This trip goes sideways and she is the only one remaining of the crew. She rescues the cargo and gets all of them but two alive to New America. Home again, she is hired for another job by rigors (Russian magic users) to find a descendent of Rasputin. A gory adventure. Highly recommended.

Finally, I read The Bone Track, the second in Sara E. Johnson’s New Zealand mysteries.

Alexa Glock is on vacation with her brother Charlie hiking in Fiordland National Park. They are independent hikers, hiking from hut to hut, under rainy conditions with regular landslides.

If that were not excitement enough, Alexa, running from a landslide, stumbles across a body revealed by the shifting early. She goes into forensic investigator mode and photographs the skeleton and takes evidence. While she is so involved, a helicopter carrying a bag of bulk rocks tries to kill her by dropping the bulk bag on her.

Simultaneously, one of the luxe hikers is missing. Alexa and her brother find it smashed on the rocks below a swing bridge over a gorge. Then Alexa discovers the marks of hiking poles used to push the victim off the cliff in her back.

Highly Recommended for both the mystery and the setting.