It is generally believed that in 1346, when the Mongolian army attacked Kafa (also translated as Kefa, now Docia, Ukraine), it used a trebuchet to throw the bodies of people who died of the plague into the city, which was the first germ war in human history. The plague originated in Central Asia, and its carrier was a woodchuck. 1348, an epidemic called plague began to spread all over Europe. The disease spread from China to the Middle East along the caravan trade route, and then was brought to Europe by ships. According to the relevant data of our country, there was an epidemic plague in the14th century, which was called "Black Death" at that time, and it was popular in Asia, Europe and North Africa, and also in China. In Europe, the Black Death raged for three centuries, killing more than 25 million people. -translation)

As early as14th century, Datong in northern Shanxi was probably one of the epidemic areas.

Part. This is the same as Wulanchabu, which is located in Datong or near the natural focus of plague in Ordos.

Close. The plague that broke out in Shanxi during the Wanli period seems to have started in Datong area and lasted for eight years.

(1580) "Datong plague, ten rooms and nine diseases, infected people died one after another, several mouths."

Home, once infected with this epidemic, one or two people can't even close the door. "Because of the highly contagious nature of this epidemic,

A little judgment may bring disaster. In the same year, the epidemic in Datong began to spread to the south of Shanxi.

Taigu County, Xinzhou, Kelan Prefecture and Baode Prefecture in Taiyuan Prefecture (now Taiyuan) all suffered from major epidemics.

Record. The following year, the epidemic spread to Liaozhou (now Zuo Quan) and then to Lu 'an Prefecture (now Changzhi).

The epidemic has further expanded. Volume 26 of Wanli's "Shanxi Tongforgotten" records that Lu 'an was "a big epidemic and swollen.

Good dye, the sick dare not ask, the dead dare not hang. "The patient's clinical manifestations are swelling and diffusion.

It is highly contagious and can be concluded that it is bubonic plague.

A remarkable clinical feature of bubonic plague is swelling and pain of lymph nodes, including the groin of rats.

Glands, axillary glands, cervical glands, etc. Although swollen lymph glands in the head or neck are caused by bubonic plague.

The proportion of ba swelling is not large, but it is particularly noticeable because of exposure. It is often used in the literature.

Emphatically described this feature, Kangxi's "Wenshui County Records" volume 1 "Xiangyi" said: "Wanli

Eight years in Chen Geng, nine years in Xinji, and a great epidemic. From a swollen throat to the death of a family. "

Kangxi's "Zhou Qinzhi" (volume 1) and disaster items also pointed out: "In the ten years of Wanli, epidemics prevailed and the common name was big."

Head wind, there is no family. "The so-called' big head wind' refers to the neck or behind the ear of patients with bubonic plague.

Another name for lymphadenopathy. /kloc-when the plague was prevalent in Yunnan in the 0 th and 9 th centuries, it was called "Big Head Day" locally.

It means the same as "big head wind" in Shanxi.

In the ten years of Wanli, Datong plague spread to the neighboring Fu Xuan (Xuanhua) area.

This is a military town with dense military guards. When the epidemic broke out, "people with swollen necks died in a day or two,

Big head plague. From Xicheng to the city in autumn, the alley is definitely dyed. It will spread to Beijing and the south next winter.

Fang. "The patient's clinical manifestation is a swollen neck, just like that in Shanxi. This epidemic not only caused Huailaiwei

A large number of people died in the city, which spread to Beijing and continued to spread to the south.

In the early years of Wanli, Beijing was densely populated with a resident population of one million (including soldiers).

In fact, plague is more harmful than rural areas, but the specific epidemic situation is still unclear.

As for the area around Beijing, until the Guangxu period in the late Qing Dynasty, local people can still recall: "Wanli.

Ten years in April, Shi Jing epidemic. Tongzhou and Dong 'an are also infected. Bazhou, Wen 'an, Dacheng and Baoding were greatly affected.

The deceased who suffered from head plague suffered from occipital infection, although the closest relatives were afraid to ask. ""big head plague "is the neck.

The neck is swollen. In books such as Integration of Ancient and Modern Books, Dongan, Baoding and Bazhou in Shuntianfu,

In Wen 'an, Dacheng and other counties, epidemics such as "big head swollen neck" and "big head plague" have been popular.

In epidemic areas, the death toll accounts for about 40% of the total population, such as Zhengding Prefecture.

Lexian county "ten years of spring and summer plague, four out of ten people died", Wuqiang, Luancheng II.

So is the county record. In addition, the information in local chronicles shows that the plague has also spread to mountainous areas.

Eastern and northern Henan and other regions.