The Plague
In 1665, The Bubonic Plague, or The Black Death, struck London. By August, as the epidemic peaked, 31,159 people had died. Over 15% of the population perished that year. If the epidemic made it into a house, the house was sealed and a red cross with the words, "Lord have mercy on us", was painted on the door. When people passed away, a cart came around in the night and picked up the dead bodies. It brought the bodies to the plague pits where they were buried. The popular children's nursery rhyme, "Ring around the Rosy" describes the symptoms of the plague. The symptoms of the plague included a rosy red rash in the shape of a ring on the skin (Ring around the rosy). Pockets and pouches were filled with sweet smelling herbs (or posies) which were carried due to the belief that the disease was transmitted by bad smells. The term "Ashes Ashes" refers to the cremation of the dead bodies. The English version of "Ring around the rosy" replaces Ashes with "A-tishoo, A-tishoo" as violent sneezing was another symptom of the disease. Some people think that the plague was only halted by the Great Fire of London in 1666 which killed the rats that carried the disease.