Ring around the Rosy
Ring around the Rosy? Yes, you read it right. Most all of us know this common nursery rhyme, but do you know where it originated? Ring around the Rosy is actually a song about the Black Plague that originated in England. It says, "Ring around the rosy" meaning the red, rosy rings that form around the sores when you are infected. "Pocket full of Posy" resembles the sweet-smelling herbs, called posies, that were placed in peoples' pockets because they thought that bad smells contracted disease. "Ashes, Ashes, we all fall down" is translated to be the massive amounts of death and cremation of bodies during the 14th century in Europe when the disease broke out. Not such a fun and friendly nursery rhyme anymore, is it?
The Plague and Royalty
There is only one known member of royalty that died from the Plague and that was Alfonso XI of Castile. He was the king of Castile, Leon, and Galicia.
Sacrifice for Science
The most recent death of the Black Plague happened only three years ago in 2009. Professor Malcolm Casadaban, molecular geneticist and plague researcher, had come in contact with the deadly bacteria in his lab accidentally. The last death before this was recorded in 1713!
Most recent in New Mexico
The most recent case was last year on May 8, 2011. A 58 year old man had survived the Plague. People are most likely to contract the Plague in Western states such as, New Mexico and southern Colorado because of their high rat populations.