ABANDONED. Doctor in Medieval Europe during the Plague

[Annie]

I'm searching for the title of a book I read some years ago about a young doctor living in a French or German city during the bubonic plague epidemic. He struggles to find a cure, and figures out that the prisons are remarkably plague free- because the prisoners ate the rats!

[Feliks]

not Noah Gordon's The Physician?

[Annie]

Thank you, Feliks, The Physician looks like another good one, but not THE one. I do remember another tidbit, that is that the main character, the doctor, is imprisoned for a time because he's accused of (maybe?) witchcraft -- when all he's doing is applying some scientific principles to his treatments. I suppose that's when he figures out that the prisoners aren't getting the plague like those living outside of the prison are, and makes the connection with the disease-carrying rats.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Annie--is this based on someone historical maybe? I've often wondered when it was realized that it was the rats that were spreading the plague. Anyone know?

[``Laurie]

Ann Benson wrote a book called "The Plague Tales" a few years ago about that period.

[Tytti]

Ann aka Iftcan wrote: "Annie--is this based on someone historical maybe? I've often wondered when it was realized that it was the rats that were spreading the plague. Anyone know?"

If I remember correctly it was much later, like "modern times". Actually it's not even certain it was the rats. All scientists don't even agree what disease it was.

The plot actually reminds be of small pox and how one doctor found a vaccination against it. An interesting book about the subject is Plagues and Peoples.

[Annie]

Yes, I've read the Ann Benson books too, but that's not it.

[Annie]

bump bump

[Jaye]

I came across this list at the Abe books site:

http://www.abebooks.com/books/science...

scroll down at the page for the selection

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Annie, are you still looking for this?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

No response. Moving to Abandoned.