Hi everyone!

I am Teodora Ilea and today, me and my classmate Denisa Iago we’ll talk about Daniel Defoe’s
lesser known book: “A journal of the Plague year”.

In light of current events, we found it imperative to understand the complexity of a pandemic and its historical
context. And even if you don’t fancy the concept of historic recurrence, we assure you that this book will have you
thinking.

Born in sixteen sixty

Died in seventeen thirty one

He was an English novelist and journalist, best known as the author of ”Robinson Crusoe”, novel that captivated
us all when we were children.

He was only five when the plague fell upon the city of London, so he spent many years collecting information
from informal and formal sources, including records of weekly deaths posted across London

The plague was far more deadly than our pandemic, and symptoms progressed rapidly after infection. No
diagnostic tests were available, other than a suggested breath test that almost no one was willing to conduct.
Instead, infected households were assigned wardens and nurses to keep and treat them inside their homes, but
the inhabitants often cheated, sneaking out to roam the town, or heading for the countryside. Many of them were
healthy, choosing to leave behind their ill relatives instead of getting sick and eventually die. Fear, uncertainty
and cheating — still seems familiar.

Once the plague had begun to take its toll, London was filling with “quacks”, promising cures and preventives.
None worked, but many of the poorer residents were customers, some of whom died after taking the potions.
The charlatans themselves often died from the disease or else sped away with their profits. Seems familiar.

As the fear started to control everyone, the Plague received a mystical interpretation too. People were convinced
that the disease was caused by evil spirits.

And now, for a better understanding of the pandemic management at that time, we thought that we should
present you the official measures that have been adopted, straight from the book:

Searchers: That there be a special care to appoint women searchers in every parish, such as are of honest
reputation, and of the best sort as can be got in this kind; and these to be sworn to make due search and true
report to the utmost of their knowledge

CAIRĂRGEĂNS Chirurgeons: 'For better assistance of the searchers, forasmuch as there hath been great
abuse in misreporting the disease, to the further spreading of the infection, it is therefore ordered that there be
chosen and appointed able and discreet chirurgeons. And the said chirurgeons must join with the searchers for
the view of the body and forasmuch they are to be sequestered from all other cures, and kept only to this
disease of the infection.

Airing the Stuff.'For sequestration of the goods and stuff of the infection, their bedding and apparel and
hangings of chambers must be well aired with fire and such perfumes as are requisite within the infected house
before they be taken again to use. This to be done by the appointment of an examiner.

What do you think about forcing the healthy members of the family to stay in the same house with their
sick relatives?
I think that at that time, this was the ony way to prevent spreading the disease, because there weren't
any diagnostic tests. However, a lot of people died because they eventually got sick after staying 3 or 4
weeks in the same house with an ill person