A woman experienced the loss of a body part after falling victim to a disease linked to a medieval plague.
The 24-year-old suffered from intense burning sensations in her legs, extending from the middle of her thighs to her toes. Two days after these symptoms started, she sought medical help at an outpatient clinic.
Doctors observed her feet were discolored, and she was having difficulty walking. Examination revealed her legs were cold, despite the burning sensation she reported, and pulses were absent in the popliteal and dorsalis pedis arteries.
A CT scan showed her arteries were narrowed. After receiving a simple blood thinner, the pain significantly reduced, and her legs warmed as blood flow improved.
Unfortunately, one of her toes developed gangrene, necessitating amputation.
This condition, known as ergotism, results from consuming ergot, a fungus that grows on wheat.
Ergot poisoning can lead to convulsions, hallucinations, and gangrene. In medieval times, it was often attributed to demonic possession.
A study in the National Library of Medicine, titled ‘One holy man, one eponym, three distinct diseases. St. Anthony’s fire revisited’, details its history.
“The first mention of a gangrenous ergotism plague in Europe appeared in the year 857, in Germany. Several other records of epidemics then emerged in France, Germany and Scandinavia,” the study notes.
“Overall, as many as 83 ergotism epidemics have been reported in various parts of Europe from 945 AD onwards, and this list is certainly incomplete.
“German physician Wendelin Thelius, who described an epidemic in 1596 in the Kingdom of Hesse, was the first to identify ergotism as the underlying cause.”
In 1676, the source was identified as infected rye by Claviceps Purpurea, an ergot fungus. However, it wasn’t until 1778 that preventative measures were implemented.
The study elaborates: “French physician Tessier observed a significant epidemic in 1778 in Sologne (France), during which over 8000 people died. He recommended field drainage, compulsory grain cleaning, and replacing infected grain with potatoes.”