1485

The first of five summertime epidemics (1485-1551) of Sweating Sickness (aka English Sweat; The Sweat) reaches London among returning troops six weeks after the Battle of Bosworth Field effectively ended the English Civil War. “It was characterized by a fever and a continuous sweat, with pains in the back, limbs and liver. It came on suddenly and death occurred often within 12 hours. . . It frequently attacked boys and young men in the prime of life. The sickness had a death rate of 30-50% and typically killed within 24 hours. The Sickness reached continental Europe in 1529-1530, ravaging the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland (Nutton, loc 1269ff.).