The English Sweating Sickness, with Particular Reference to the 1551 Outbreak in Chester Author(s): Paul R. Hunter Source: Reviews of Infectious Diseases, Vol. 13, No. 2 (Mar. - Apr., 1991), pp. 303-306 Published by: Oxford University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4455857 Accessed: 12-06-2018 08:50 UTC JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
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The English Sweating Sickness, with Particular Reference to the 1551 Outbreak in Chester
Paul R. Hunter From the Public Health Laboratory, City Hospital, Chester, United Kingdom
During the 15th and 16th centuries in England, there were five epidemics of a disease characterized by fever and profuse sweating and associated with high mortality. This disease became known as the English sweating sickness. The first epidemic occurred during 1485 at around the time of Henry Thdor's victory at Bosworth Field, and the last took place during the reign of Edward VI in 1551. The disease tended to occur during the summer and early autumn. The relatively affluent male adult population, particularly the clergy, seemed to suffer the highest attack rates, and, except in one epidemic, the disease appears to have attacked only individuals native to England. Despite the reputation of the English sweating sickness as a disease with a high fatality rate, records of burials and wills in Chester suggest that the 1551 epidemic did not have a marked effect on the demographics of the population. The etiologic agent is still unknown,
although an enterovirus seems to this author to be the most likely pathogen.
The English sweating sickness (also called English sweats account by John Caius in 1552 [3]. He stated: "This disease
and Sudor Anglicus) has been a puzzle to physicians is not aand sweat onely, . . but a feuer," and he noted other features: historians since its first appearance in 1485. Five epidemics
took place during the reign of the three male Tudor monarchs, First by the peine in the backe, or shoulder, peine in the the first in 1485 and the last in 1551. It was a disease with extreme partes, as arme, or legge, with a flusshing, or wind, a high mortality; those stricken often died within a few hours.
as it semeth to certeine of the pacientes, flieng in the same.
The outbreaks all occurred during the summer months, usu-
Secondly by the grief in the liuer and the nigh stomacke. Thirdely, by the peine in the head, & madnes of the same.
ally dying out during autumn. Since the 1551 outbreak, the disease has not returned to England, although some historians
Fourthly by the passion of the hart..... Wherupon also fol-
have suggested that it continued in a similar form in France oweth a marueilous heauinesse, (the fifthe token of this disup to the 20th century [1]. ease,) and a desire to sleape, neuer contented, the senses in Despite a fair amount of continuing interest in the English al partes beynge as they were bounde or closed vp, the partes therfore left heuy, vnliuishe, and dulle. Last foloweth the shorte sweating sickness, the exact causative agent remains unknown. . .. lasteth but one natural day. This paper describes the clinical features of the disease abidinge, and
briefly summarizes the five outbreaks, with particular refer-
From these descriptions it would appear that the disease ence to the fifth outbreak and the appearance of the disease was of sudden onset, with few if any prodromal symptoms, in Chester. The possible etiology and pathogenesis of this and frequently of
