The　Black　Death　and　The　Dancing　Mania
  by　J。　F。　C。　Hecker　（translated　by　B。　G。　Babington）
  INTRODUCTION
  Justus　Friedrich　Karl　Hecker　was　one　of　three　generations　of　distinguished　professors　of　medicine。　　His　father；　August　Friedrich　Hecker；　a　most　industrious　writer；　first　practised　as　a　physician　in　Frankenhausen；　and　in　1790　was　appointed　Professor　of　Medicine　at　the　University　of　Erfurt。　　In　1805　he　was　called　to　the　like　professorship　at　the　University　of　Berlin。　　He　died　at　Berlin　in　1811。
  Justus　Friedrich　Karl　Hecker　was　born　at　Erfurt　in　January；　1795。　He　went；　of　coursebeing　then　ten　years　oldwith　his　father　to　Berlin　in　1805；　studied　at　Berlin　in　the　Gymnasium　and　University；　but　interrupted　his　studies　at　the　age　of　eighteen　to　fight　as　a　volunteer　in　the　war　for　a　renunciation　of　Napoleon　and　all　his　works。　　After　Waterloo　he　went　back　to　his　studies；　took　his　doctor's　degree　in　1817　with　a　treatise　on　the　〃Antiquities　of　Hydrocephalus；〃　and　became　privat…docent　in　the　Medical　Faculty　of　the　Berlin　University。　　His　inclination　was　strong　from　the　first　towards　the　historical　side　of　inquiries　into　Medicine。　　This　caused　him　to　undertake　a　〃History　of　Medicine；〃　of　which　the　first　volume　appeared　in　1822。　　It　obtained　rank　for　him　at　Berlin　as　Extraordinary　Professor　of　the　History　of　Medicine。　　This　office　was　changed　into　an　Ordinary　professorship　of　the　same　study　in　1834；　and　Hecker　held　that　office　until　his　death　in　1850。
  The　office　was　created　for　a　man　who　had　a　special　genius　for　this　form　of　study。　　It　was　delightful　to　himself；　and　he　made　it　delightful　to　others。　　He　is　regarded　as　the　founder　of　historical　pathology。　　He　studied　disease　in　relation　to　the　history　of　man；　made　his　study　yield　to　men　outside　his　own　profession　an　important　chapter　in　the　history　of　civilisation；　and　even　took　into　account　physical　phenomena　upon　the　surface　of　the　globe　as　often　affecting　the　movement　and　character　of　epidemics。
  The　account　of　〃The　Black　Death〃　here　translated　by　Dr。　Babington　was　Hecker's　first　important　work　of　this　kind。　　It　was　published　in　1832；　and　was　followed　in　the　same　year　by　his　account　of　〃The　Dancing　Mania。〃　　The　books　here　given　are　the　two　that　first　gave　Hecker　a　wide　reputation。　　Many　other　such　treatises　followed；　among　them；　in　1865；　a　treatise　on　the　〃Great　Epidemics　of　the　Middle　Ages。〃　　Besides　his　〃History　of　Medicine；〃　which；　in　its　second　volume；　reached　into　the　fourteenth　century；　and　all　his　smaller　treatises；　Hecker　wrote　a　large　number　of　articles　in　Encyclopaedias　and　Medical　Journals。　　Professor　J。F。K。　Hecker　was；　in　a　more　interesting　way；　as　busy　as　Professor　A。F。　Hecker；　his　father；　had　been。　　He　transmitted　the　family　energies　to　an　only　son；　Karl　von　Hecker；　born　in　1827；　who　distinguished　himself　greatly　as　a　Professor　of　Midwifery；　and　died　in　1882。
  Benjamin　Guy　Babington；　the　translator　of　these　books　of　Hecker's；　belonged　also　to　a　family　in　which　the　study　of　Medicine　has　passed　from　father　to　son；　and　both　have　been　writers。　　B。G。　Babington　was　the　son　of　Dr。　William　Babington；　who　was　physician　to　Guy's　Hospital　for　some　years　before　1811；　when　the　extent　of　his　private　practice　caused　him　to　retire。　　He　died　in　1833。　　His　son；　Benjamin　Guy　Babington；　was　educated　at　the　Charterhouse；　saw　service　as　a　midshipman；　served　for　seven　years　in　India；　returned　to　England；　graduated　as　physician　at　Cambridge　in　1831。　　He　distinguished　himself　by　inquiries　into　the　cholera　epidemic　in　1832；　and　translated　these　pieces　of　Hecker's　in　1833；　for　publication　by　the　Sydenham　Society。　　He　afterwards　translated　Hecker's　other　treatises　on　epidemics　of　the　Middle　Ages。　　Dr。　B。G。　Babington　was　Physician　to　Guy's　Hospital　from　1840　to　1855；　and　was　a　member　of　the　Medical　Council　of　the　General　Board　of　Health。　　He　died　on　the　8th　of　April；　1866。
  H。M。
  THE　BLACK　DEATH
  CHAPTER　IGENERAL　OBSERVATIONS
  That　Omnipotence　which　has　called　the　world　with　all　its　living　creatures　into　one　animated　being；　especially　reveals　Himself　in　the　desolation　of　great　pestilences。　　The　powers　of　creation　come　into　violent　collision；　the　sultry　dryness　of　the　atmosphere；　the　subterraneous　thunders；　the　mist　of　overflowing　waters；　are　the　harbingers　of　destruction。　　Nature　is　not　satisfied　with　the　ordinary　alternations　of　life　and　death；　and　the　destroying　angel　waves　over　man　and　beast　his　flaming　sword。
  These　revolutions　are　performed　in　vast　cycles；　which　the　spirit　of　man；　limited；　as　it　is；　to　a　narrow　circle　of　perception；　is　unable　to　explore。　　They　are；　however；　greater　terrestrial　events　than　any　of　those　which　proceed　from　the　discord；　the　distress；　or　the　passions　of　nations。　　By　annihilations　they　awaken　new　life；　and　when　the　tumult　above　and　below　the　earth　is　past；　nature　is　renovated；　and　the　mind　awakens　from　torpor　and　depression　to　the　consciousness　of　an　intellectual　existence。
  Were　it　in　any　degree　within　the　power　of　human　research　to　draw　up；　in　a　vivid　and　connected　form；　an　historical　sketch　of　such　mighty　events；　after　the　manner　of　the　historians　of　wars　and　battles；　and　the　migrations　of　nations；　we　might　then　arrive　at　clear　views　with　respect　to　the　mental　development　of　the　human　race；　and　the　ways　of　Providence　would　be　more　plainly　discernible。　　It　would　then　be　demonstrable；　that　the　mind　of　nations　is　deeply　affected　by　the　destructive　conflict　of　the　powers　of　nature；　and　that　great　disasters　lead　to　striking　changes　in　general　civilisation。　　For　all　that　exists　in　man；　whether　good　or　evil；　is　rendered　conspicuous　by　the　presence　of　great　danger。　　His　inmost　feelings　are　rousedthe　thought　of　self…preservation　masters　his　spiritself…denial　is　put　to　severe　proof；　and　wherever　darkness　and　barbarism　prevail；　there　the　affrighted　mortal　flies　to　the　idols　of　his　superstition；　and　all　laws；　human　and　divine；　are　criminally　violated。
  In　conformity　with　a　general　law　of　nature；　such　a　state　of　excitement　brings　about　a　change；　beneficial　or　detrimental；　according　to　circumstances；　so　that　nations　either　attain　a　higher　degree　of　moral　worth；　or　sink　deeper　in　ignorance　and　vice。　　All　this；　however；　takes　place　upon　a　much　grander　scale　than　through　the　ordinary　vicissitudes　of　war　and　peace；　or　the　rise　and　fall　of　empires；　because　the　powers　of　nature　themselves　produce　plagues；　and　subjugate　the　human　will；　which；　in　the　contentions　of　nations；　alone　predominates。
  CHAPTER　IITHE　DISEASE
  The　most　memorable　example　of　what　has　been　advanced　is　afforded　by　a　great　pestilence　of　the　fourteenth　century；　which　desolated　Asia；　Europe；　and　Africa；　and　of　which　the　people　yet　preserve　the　remembrance　in　gloomy　traditions。　　It　was　an　oriental　plague；　marked　by　inflammatory　boils　and　tumours　of　the　glands；　such　as　break　out　in　no　other　febrile　disease。　　On　account　of　these　inflammatory　boils；　and　from　the　black　spots；　indicatory　of　a　putrid　decomposition；　which　appeared　upon　the　skin；　it　was　called　in　Germany　and　in　the　northern　kingdoms　of　Europe　the　Black　Death；　and　in　Italy；　la　mortalega　grande；　the　Great　Mortality。
  Few　testimonies　are　presented　to　us　respecting　its　symptoms　and　its　course；　yet　these　are　sufficient　to　throw　light　upon　the　form　of　the　malady；　and　they　are　worthy　of　credence；　from　their　coincidence　with　the　signs　of　the　same　disease　in　modern　times。
  The　imperial　writer；　Kantakusenos；　whose　own　son；　Andronikus；　died　of　this　plague　in　Constantinople；　notices　great　imposthumes　of　the　thighs　and　arms　of　those　affected；　which；　when　opened；　afforded　relief　by　the　discharge　of　an　offensive　matter。　　Buboes；　which　are　the　infallible　signs　of　the　oriental　plague；　are　thus　plainly　indicated；　for　he　makes　separate　mention　of　smaller　boils　on　the　arms　and　in　the　face；　as　also　in　other　parts　of　the　body；　and　clearly　distinguishes　these　from　the　blisters；　which　are　no　less　produced　by　plague　in　all　its　forms。　　In　many　cases；　black　spots　broke　out　all　over　the　body；　either　single；　or　united　and　confluent。
  These　symptoms　were　not　all　found　in　every　case。　　In　many；　one　alone　was　sufficient　to　cause　death；　while　some　patients　recovered；　contrary　to　expectation；　though　afflicted　with　all。　Symptoms　of　cephalic　affection　were　frequent；　many　patients　became　stupefied　and　fell　into　a　deep　sleep；　losing　also　their　speech　from　palsy　of　the　tongue；　others　remained　sleepless　and　without　rest。　　The　fauces　and　tongue　were　black；　and　as　if　suffused　with　blood；　no　beverage　could　assuage　their　burning　thirst；　so　that　their　sufferings　continued　without　alleviation　until　terminated　by　death；　which　many　in　their　despair　accelerated　with　their　own　hands。　　Contagion　was　evident；　for　attendants　caught　the　disease　of　their　relations　and　friends；　and　many　houses　in　the　capital　were　bereft　even　of　their　last　inhabitant。　　Thus　far　the　ordinary　circumstances　only　of　the　oriental　plague　occurred。　　Still　deeper　sufferings；　however；　were　connected　with　this　pestilence；　such　as　have　not　been　felt　at　other　times；　the　organs　of　respiration　were　seized　with　a　putrid　inflammation；　a　violent　pain　in　the　chest　attacked　the　patient；　blood　was　expectorated；　and　the　breath　diffused　a　pestiferous　odour。
  In　the　West；　the　following　were　t