"Eight thematic chapters guide the reader through the medical perspective of the plague - both medieval and modern - and discuss the plague's impact on society, cities, individuals, and art of the time. An annotated timeline explains the key events and dates of this recurring disaster. Nine illustrations show how artists represented the plague's impact on the self and society. Twelve primary documents, half of them never before translated into English, come from eyewitnesses located in Constantinople, Damascus, Prague, Italy, France, Germany, and England. A glossary is provided enabling readers to quickly look up unfamiliar medical and historical terms and concepts such as Bacillus, Verjuice, and Peasants' Revolt of 1381. An annotated bibliography follows, divided by topic. The work is fully indexed."--BOOK JACKET.