King Thomas
Banned
it caused a plague in Western Europe instead? Historicly, most of the Native Americans died of disease instead of bullets or sword cuts.What happens if the disease goes the other way or both ways?
it caused a plague in Western Europe instead? Historicly, most of the Native Americans died of disease instead of bullets or sword cuts.What happens if the disease goes the other way or both ways?
A stronger venereal disease from the New World could have wiped out the returning Spanish correct. Much evidence would support such a hypothesis.
Come on, it's common knowledge that syphillis came from the New World.
Anyway, what kind of pandemic potential does a venereal disease have, anyway?
Not so much. I have never heard the New World origin theory stated without some kind of disclaimer. I'm not saying it didn't, I'm just saying the jury is out. Anyway, what kind of pandemic potential does a venereal disease have, anyway?
it caused a plague in Western Europe instead? Historicly, most of the Native Americans died of disease instead of bullets or sword cuts.What happens if the disease goes the other way or both ways?
@robert: Interesting thoughts about NWAIDS. A few ideas:
"As it happens, the Skraelings encountered by the Norse around 1,000 A.D. are one of the few populations which do not have the disease, so it is not transmitted to Europe at that time."
Since the contact between Vikings and Skraelings mostly consisted of fights, even if they had NWAIDS already, there's not much danger that the disease spreads. Weren't the Viking colonies in Vinland all destroyed?
Even with medieval / Renaissance tech: Wouldn't people be able to see that people living in celibacy (monks, priests - OK, admittedly, not everyone of 'em did keep the vow) can't get the disease?
"Indeed, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that we will see, given time, death rates exceeding those caused by European diseases in the New World."
Do you mean "in absolute numbers" (quite probable) or "in percentages of the population"?
AIDs and other STDs only spread so well in the modern world because sexual attitudes are far different than they were- there simply wouldn't be as much infectious potential as with a normal disease.
AIDs does not spread as well as the flu, for example.
It doesn't even always spread with intercourse, because of prophylactics and coitus interruptus.
There was never a major VD epidemic killing off millions in medieval Europe, and they had all sorts of nasty STDs floating around.
AIDs and other STDs only spread so well in the modern world because sexual attitudes are far different than they were- there simply wouldn't be as much infectious potential as with a normal disease.
AIDs does not spread as well as the flu, for example. It doesn't even always spread with intercourse, because of prophylactics and coitus interruptus.
There was never a major VD epidemic killing off millions in medieval Europe, and they had all sorts of nasty STDs floating around.
Actually, there's never been a major VD epidemic killing off millions even now, or rather the only reason we now have one that is killing off millions is we have so many millions to kill off. AIDS may kill millions, yes, but as a percentage of the population it is still fairly miniscule. I have yet to hear tales of cities depopulated, refugees fleeing or thousands of corpses unburied, even from Africa.