This two-volume work explores the causes and effects of epidemic and pestilential diseases throughout history. The author draws on a wide range of scientific and historical sources to provide detailed descriptions of these illnesses, as well as the social and cultural responses to them. A valuable resource for scholars and lay readers alike. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.