Concerning the enigmatic English sweating disease

Abstract

English sweating disease (Sudor anglicus) had a strong moral and psychological impact on medieval England and Europe. It was a mysterious and terrific illness because of its sudden onset, brevity and abrupt disappearance. Based on classical and less well-known documents, different aspects of this once-emergent disease are analyzed, among them: its history, the description of its epidemics, similar diseases, probable etiology including infectious agents, and conceptual changes about it. Communication problems inherent to mediaeval culture, and the incipient semiotics are among the reasons for the difficulties of this retrospective analytical exercise.