The Sweating Sickness in England

"The Sweating Sickness in England" by Francis Cornelius Webb is a recounting of a mysterious and deadly disease that swept through England in the late 1400s and 1500s. Webb's book details the onset of the illness around 1485, highlighting how it quickly turned into widespread panic and a high death toll. Strong, healthy men were particularly at risk, and no one was safe, from the rich to the poor. The book includes historical records, demonstrating the scale of the outbreaks and illustrating how society reacted to these frightening episodes, up to the last severe outbreak in 1551. Webb not only looks at the medical side of the epidemics but also paints a vivid picture of how much the disease was feared and the destruction it caused.