Black Death maps reveal how the plague devastated medieval Britain

Black Death maps reveal how the plague devastated medieval Britain

An in-depth analysis of pottery shards has revealed the "eye-watering" impact the Black Death had across rural medieval England.

Towns, villages and hamlets were ravaged by the peak of the plague between 1346 and 1351, and between 75 and 200 million people are said to have been killed across Europe and Asia during several centuries of the disease. Now a series of maps has been released which reveal the "devastating" and "eye-watering" effect the disease had across the UK as populations fell. 

The research was led by Professor Carenza Lewis from the University of Lincoln.

"The true scale of devastation wrought by the Black Death during the 'calamitous' fourteenth century has been a topic of much debate among historians and archaeologists," said Lewis. "Recent studies have led to mortality estimates being revised upwards, but the discussion remains hampered by a lack of consistent and scalable population data for the period." "This new research offers a novel solution to that evidential challenge, using finds of pottery - a highly durable indicator of human presence."

Fertility Treatment for Poor

The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology met in Barcelona this week.

On the discussion table was the issue of infertility in developing countries. A proposal was put together with the aim of introducing inexpensive IVF treatments for women - beginning in Africa where it is claimed more than 30percent of women are infertile.

This IVF treatment could cost around $200.00 which is considerably less than the $10,000.00 being paid for the same treatment in developed nations.

From the Guardian:
"A small number of women already have been treated in Khartoum, Sudan, and other projects are expected to start soon in South Africa and Tanzania. Sembuya Rita, an infertility activist from Uganda, said it was essential for public health officials to address the issue."


From Fox News:
"Despite dozens of other health priorities — from AIDS to pneumonia to malaria — experts said it was worthwhile to introduce a cheap version of IVF. In Africa, where infertility is more common than in the West, women often suffer the problem after complications from unsafe deliveries, abortions or infections.

Experts said that even if millions of women were treated with low-cost IVF, it would only result in a one to two percent boost in the overall population. But with limited funds for public health, officials admitted it would be a tough sell."


From MSNBC:
"Oluwole Akande, an emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria acknowledged the price of the procedure would still be available only to Africa's upper and middle classes. He said that in many parts of Africa women who are unable to have children become social outcasts, are labelled as witches, and in extreme cases, are even driven to suicide."


From the Star Tribune:
"Millions of dollars go into family planning projects and condom distribution to prevent pregnancies in Africa, but experts said that more than 30 percent of women on the continent are unable to have children. An estimated 80 million people in developing countries are infertile worldwide."


From Yahoo News:
"The goal is creating a system of centers developed around existing hospitals and clinics that would provide more options for infertile women in poor countries. The key to an affordable program is not attempting to treat every type of infertility but rather targeting those that have the best chance of success, such as women with tubal damage as a result of infection, the researchers said. They also acknowledged that until governments and international aid organizations step in with funding, even a $200 per cycle price tag will prove prohibitive for many."


However, due to the inexpensive nature of the treatment, the success rate may also be lower.

And I am sure that there are many who would disagree with this program on the basis of the world already being over-populated. Many would also argue why this program could not be used in developed countries for childless couples who cannot afford the huge price-tag that comes with IVF treatments.

India's "lack" of girls

A recent study has noted the decline in the number of girls being born AND surviving in India. If this trend continues, there will be - in the not too distant future - a distinct lack of girls available for the ever growing male population. This will most likely manifest itself in the lack of available brides and a decline in population. Naturally, this would enhance the "value" placed upon girls - but would it necessarily ease the burden of the provision of a dowry that accompanies many marriages. With the possibility of a decrease in the number of brides available - maybe it will be the turn of the groom to provide a suitable inducement.

But what of the future for India's population on a whole - how will the decreasing level of girls impact upon the future of India. As I see it, this will seriously impact on the growth of India's population - it will stagnate and then seriously decline - a point from which there may be no turning back.

This subject has become one of great interest in the media in recent times:

From the BBC News:
"A report by the UK charity says increasing numbers of female foetuses were being aborted and baby girls deliberately neglected and left to die. In one site in the Punjab state, there are just 300 girls to every 1,000 boys among higher caste families, it says.

The document says that Indian woman are put under intense pressure to produce sons, in a culture that predominantly views girls as a burden rather than an asset. It says many families now use ultrasound scans and abort female foetuses, despite the existence of the 1994 law banning gender selection and selective abortion. Some 10 million female foetuses have been aborted in India in the past 20 years, the British medical journal the Lancet has said."

From VOA News:
"The report "Disappearing Daughters" has been conducted by ActionAid and Canada's International Development Research Center.

It says in three of five states surveyed, the number of girls had declined to less than 800 for every 1000 boys compared to the nationwide average of 950 girls. The report says the decline is happening in both rural and prosperous urban areas, showing that the preference for sons cut across economic and social classes.

The "Disappearing Daughters" report has called on the government to ensure tougher enforcement of laws to check the practice of aborting female fetuses. But it says that in the long term, cultural attitudes need to change."

From Yahoo News:
" The report called on the Indian government for tougher enforcement of laws banning pre-natal sex detection and sex-selective abortion, describing their efforts to implement the legisation so far as "woefully inadequate".

Attitudes towards girls as financial burdens for families because of dowry pressures also need to be challenged, while the quality of and access to public health care and state-run schools had to improved, it added.

The report said neglect in poorer areas with less access to public health facilities affected survival rates, but declining ratios in better-served urban areas was down to parental choices about the number and sex of offspring.

Birth order also affected girls' survival rates: all survey sites showed a decline in the number of girls among second-born children; in three sites there were fewer than 750 girls for every 1,000 boys."

The plight of girls in India is steadily reaching crisis point - and something needs to be done soon to address this issue - before it is too late.

Here's something to think about in the meantime - its an ancient Chinese "Song" - but highly relevant:

“When a son is born,
Let him sleep on the bed,
Clothe him with fine clothes,
And give him jade to play...
When a daughter is born,
Let her sleep on the ground,
Wrap her in common wrappings,
And give broken tiles to play...”