Disease! Crash Course World History 203

CrashCourse
24 Jul 201411:37
EducationalLearning
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TLDRIn this Crash Course World History episode, John Green discusses the profound impact of disease on human history. He highlights the Great Dying in the Americas, the role of diseases in population shifts and the rise and fall of civilizations, and the interplay between war, trade, and disease. The Black Death's significant effects on Europe's economy and Christianity are explored, as well as the devastating consequences of the Columbian Exchange. The lecture underscores the ongoing influence of disease, despite medical advancements, and the interconnectedness of human history with the broader biosphere.

Takeaways
  • 😷 Disease has played a significant and often underappreciated role in shaping human history, influencing everything from population dynamics to the rise and fall of civilizations.
  • 🌍 The migration of humans out of Africa and into new environments led to the growth of human populations and the emergence of new diseases, such as those facilitated by irrigation and agriculture.
  • 🏙️ The development of civilizations and the concentration of people in cities created conditions ripe for the spread of epidemics, unlike in hunter-gatherer societies.
  • 🐖 Many diseases have originated from domesticated animals, with the example given being swine flu from pigs, highlighting the close relationship between humans and animals in disease transmission.
  • 📜 Historical records often attribute disease outbreaks to divine will or miasma, reflecting the limited understanding of disease causation in the past.
  • 🤒 The Black Death, one of the most devastating pandemics in history, is believed to have originated in fleas from rats and resulted in the deaths of approximately one-third of Europe's population.
  • 🚢 Trade routes, such as the Silk Road, facilitated the spread of diseases like the Black Death, showing a strong correlation between trade, travel, and disease transmission.
  • 🛡️ Wars and military campaigns have historically contributed to the spread of diseases, with armies carrying them and civilian populations made more susceptible due to food shortages and displacement.
  • 🌐 The Columbian Exchange brought about the Great Dying in the Americas, where the introduction of new diseases by Europeans led to the death of an estimated 90% of the indigenous population.
  • 🧬 Advances in medicine, such as inoculation and antibiotics, have significantly reduced the impact of diseases like smallpox, but new and drug-resistant diseases continue to emerge, highlighting the ongoing battle against infectious diseases.
  • 🌿 The interconnectedness of humans with the larger biosphere and the importance of understanding our role within the ecosystem to fully grasp the complexities of history.
Q & A

  • What is John Green's personal feeling towards the subject of disease?

    -John Green feels profoundly uncomfortable discussing disease, as he is a hypochondriac and fears that his existence could be ended by a microscopic organism.

  • Why has the study of history traditionally not focused much on diseases?

    -Historians have not focused much on diseases because they are mysterious and terrifying, and they don't fit well with the idea of history being the result of human agency. Additionally, diseases were often attributed to divine will or wrath, and there is a lack of detailed historical records about them.

  • How did the migration out of Africa and into regions less amenable to diseases affect human populations?

    -The migration allowed human populations to grow significantly for the first time, as they escaped the population-limiting tropical diseases of Africa and settled in river valleys, which were more conducive to agriculture and the development of civilizations.

  • What new disease problems were created by the growth of communities in river valleys?

    -The increased population density in river valleys facilitated the spread of epidemics. Additionally, the development of irrigation systems, which relied on slow-moving or standing water, created ideal breeding grounds for disease-carrying organisms.

  • How did domesticated animals contribute to the spread of diseases?

    -Domesticated animals were a source of various diseases, such as swine flu, which can be transmitted to humans. The close proximity to animals in agricultural societies increased the chances of zoonotic diseases.

  • What is the correlation between war and disease?

    -There is a strong correlation between war and disease, as armies often carried diseases with them, and the food shortages and displacements caused by war made civilians more susceptible to illness.

  • How did trade contribute to the spread of diseases?

    -Trade, especially through extensive networks like the Silk Road, facilitated the spread of diseases by connecting different regions and populations, allowing pathogens to move along with goods and people.

  • What were some of the effects of the Black Death on Europe?

    -The Black Death led to a significant population decline, economic changes with higher wages and shortages of products, shifts in religious practices, and changes in living conditions, such as the adoption of brick construction and tile roofing to deter rats.

  • How did the Great Dying compare to the Black Death in terms of devastation?

    -The Great Dying was even more devastating than the Black Death, as it可能导致了美洲原住民人口的90%死亡, 破坏了社区、家庭和整个文化, 同时为欧洲的殖民扩张创造了条件。

  • What medical advances have been significant in combating viral and bacterial diseases?

    -Inoculation, which was widely used in England after 1721 and in continental Europe about a century later, and the development of antibiotics in the twentieth century were significant advances. Inoculation helped combat viral diseases like smallpox, while antibiotics were effective against bacterial diseases.

  • How does John Green conclude the role of disease in human history?

    -John Green concludes that disease has been a powerful force in shaping human history and continues to be so. He emphasizes that human history is more complex than being solely driven by human actions, as it is intertwined with the larger biosphere and the countless creatures with which we share the planet.

Outlines
00:00
😷 The Impact of Disease in World History

This paragraph introduces the topic of disease in world history, highlighting the personal challenge for the speaker due to being a hypochondriac. It acknowledges the rationality of fearing diseases, which have historically caused significant mortality. The speaker notes the modern context where communicable diseases play a lesser role, yet still mentions contemporary diseases like bird flu, SARS, HIV/AIDS, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The historical underrepresentation of diseases in studies is attributed to their mysterious and terrifying nature, and the discomfort in accepting that history can be shaped by factors beyond human control, such as diseases. The paragraph also touches on the historical perception of diseases as divine punishment and the difficulty in extracting useful information from primary sources due to limited understanding and documentation of diseases in the past.

05:02
🖤 The Black Death's Profound Effects

The second paragraph delves into the Black Death, one of the most devastating pandemics in history, which originated from fleas on rats and spread across Europe via trade routes. The death toll was staggeringly high, with a third of Europe's population perishing. The term 'Black Death' is discussed as a historical branding choice, first coined in the 19th century. The paragraph explores the Black Death's impact on individuals and society, including its role in economic changes, the shift in religious practices, and the transformation of living conditions to mitigate the spread of diseases. It also compares the Black Death's impact to the lesser-known but equally catastrophic effects of the Columbian Exchange on indigenous populations in the Americas.

10:03
🦠 Ongoing Challenges with Infectious Diseases

The final paragraph addresses the ongoing struggle with infectious diseases despite scientific and medical advancements. It acknowledges the persistent threat of diseases like cholera and the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, which challenge the effectiveness of antibiotics. The paragraph reflects on the enduring influence of diseases in shaping human history and the potential for future epidemics. It concludes with a reminder of the interconnectedness of humanity with the biosphere and the complex role of diseases in the broader narrative of history.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Communicable Disease
A communicable disease is an illness that can be transmitted from one person to another, either directly or indirectly. In the context of the video, John Green discusses how such diseases have historically played a significant role in shaping human history, with examples like bird flu, SARS, HIV/AIDS, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria showing their ongoing impact.
💡Hyochondriac
A person who is excessively anxious about their health, often fearing serious illness despite medical reassurance. John Green uses this term self-deprecatingly to express his personal discomfort with the topic of disease and his irrational fear of being killed by microscopic organisms, which humorously sets the stage for the serious discussion of diseases in history.
💡Great Dying
The Great Dying refers to a catastrophic event in the 16th century that led to the death of a significant portion of the indigenous population in the Americas, primarily due to the introduction of new diseases by European settlers. This term highlights the profound impact of disease on human cultures and populations, and it exemplifies how diseases can alter the course of history.
💡Divine Will
The concept of divine will refers to the belief that diseases are a result of God's will or plan. Historically, this belief influenced how people understood and reacted to diseases. The video touches on this idea to illustrate the historical misunderstanding of disease causes and the role of religious explanations in shaping responses to epidemics.
💡Pandemic
A pandemic is an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population. The term is used in the video to describe events like the Black Death and the impact of diseases on civilizations, emphasizing the global reach and severity of these health crises.
💡Trade Networks
Trade networks refer to the interconnected systems of exchange and commerce that link different regions or countries. In the video, it is explained that such networks, like the Silk Road, facilitated the spread of diseases, which in turn had significant economic and social consequences, including the potential contribution to the fall of the Roman Empire.
💡Bubonic Plague
Bubonic plague is a severe, sometimes fatal bacterial infection caused by Yersinia pestis, which is transmitted to humans through flea bites. It is known for causing widespread pandemics, most notably the Black Death of the 14th century. The video describes the symptoms and historical impact of the Bubonic plague, highlighting its role in shaping human history.
💡Inoculation
Inoculation is a medical procedure in which a person is given a disease in a mild form to stimulate immunity to it. The video credits the development of inoculation as a significant medical advance that helped combat viral epidemic diseases like smallpox, demonstrating the evolution of human efforts to control and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
💡Antibiotics
Antibiotics are drugs that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria, and they have been crucial in treating bacterial infections. The video discusses the 20th-century development of antibiotics as a major medical breakthrough that has been effective against diseases like bubonic plague and tuberculosis, although the rise of drug-resistant bacteria poses new challenges.
💡Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange refers to the widespread exchange of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World following the voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492. The term is also used to describe the devastating impact of European diseases on indigenous American populations, which had no prior exposure to these diseases, leading to massive depopulation.
💡Biosphere
The biosphere encompasses all living organisms on Earth and their interactions with each other and their environments. In the video, John Green emphasizes that human history is not solely shaped by human actions but is intricately connected to the larger biosphere, including the microscopic organisms that can cause diseases.
Highlights

John Green discusses the profound impact of disease on world history, despite his personal discomfort with the topic due to being a hypochondriac.

Diseases have historically been underplayed in the study of history, partly due to their mysterious and terrifying nature and their perceived divine origins.

The sixteenth-century Great Dying in the Americas, caused by diseases brought by Europeans, had a significant and wide-ranging effect on human cultures.

The growth of human populations and the development of civilizations were influenced by the migration out of disease-rich tropical regions.

Agricultural societies in river valleys faced new disease challenges due to increased population density and the potential for epidemics.

Diseases like schistosomiasis have been documented since as early as 1200 BCE in Egypt, highlighting the long history of human-parasite interactions.

The spread of diseases has often been linked to trade networks, such as the Silk Road, which contributed to pestilential disasters in Ancient Rome.

The Black Death, originating from fleas on rats, resulted in the deaths of perhaps a third of Europe's population in the mid-fourteenth century.

The term 'Black Death' was coined in 1832 by J.F.K. Hecker, a German doctor and professor of the history of medicine.

The Black Death may have inadvertently benefited workers by creating economic opportunities and higher wages due to labor shortages.

The Black Death's impact on European Christianity included a shift towards hedonism and increased anticlericalism, which may have contributed to the Protestant Reformation.

The Great Dying that accompanied the Columbian Exchange resulted in the deaths of perhaps 90% of native American populations, profoundly affecting human history.

Disease played a crucial role in Europe's dominance in the modern era, with the pre-Columbian Americas being largely free of disease until European contact.

Inoculation and antibiotics were significant medical advances that helped combat viral and bacterial diseases, respectively.

Despite medical advancements, infectious diseases remain a leading cause of death and new epidemics continue to emerge, such as various flus.

The history of human civilization is intertwined with the broader biosphere, and diseases have been a powerful force shaping human history.

Crash Course is supported by Subbable, a voluntary subscription service that allows people to support the show directly.

Transcripts

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DiseaseHistoryEpidemicsImpactHumanCivilizationMicroorganismsGreatDyingBlackDeathColumbianExchangeMedicalAdvancementsGlobalHealth