"In May 1718, Blackbeard's pirate fleets appeared at Charleston, South Carolina. Soon they were stopping every vessel entering and leaving the harbor. Almost ten vessels were plundered before Charleston acted on the reoccurring problem. All incoming vessels were soon diverted from entering Charleston harbor and all vessels already within the harbor remained in port because of the siege from Blackbeard's fleet. Before this happened though, Blackbeard was able to take many important high-ranking citizens as prisoners hoping they would be useful. He held them for ransom for medical supplies and threatened to kill them all if he did not get his wish. Several days after sending one of the hostages and two of his crew to deliver the ransom note, he received his medical trunk and true to his word he released all the prisoners without a loss of life."
I have been listening to a variety of podcasts lately. One of them is the Our Fake History Podcast. The last two episodes have been about Blackbeard the Pirate. These two are really interesting because it puts Blackbeard in...well...maybe a slightly different light than we all thought about him.
How Bad was Blackbeard? (Part 1)
How Bad was Blackbeard? (Part 2)
Anyway...what is really interesting about the quote above is why would Blackbeard want medical supplies? Seriously...medical supplies from the Ruthless Edward Teach...if that was really his name. Previous to landing in Charleston, Blackbeard's fleet traveled the Mosquito Coast (Honduras) and it was thought that many of Teach's crew came down with Yellow Fever. But as the host of the Podcast said...while in Charleston...the crew acted a little too "Piratey" to have Yellow Fever. Meaning, Yellow Fever knocks you down and you can't really do much of anything.
The other theory...and probably likely...is that many of the crew maybe had a little too much fun while at the various ports and lands they traveled. Adult fun if you will. And quite certainly...contracted syphilis. So...in the early 1700s...how did you treat syphilis? Yeah...this one was really bizarre too me...but the treatment of syphilis was a mercury injection to the junk!
"In 1495 an epidemic of a new and terrible disease broke out among the soldiers of Charles VIII of France when he invaded Naples in the first of the Italian Wars, and its subsequent impact on the peoples of Europe was devastating – this was syphilis, or grande verole, the “great pox”. Although it didn’t have the horrendous mortality of the bubonic plague, its symptoms were painful and repulsive – the appearance of genital sores, followed by foul abscesses and ulcers over the rest of the body and severe pains. The remedies were few and hardly efficacious, the mercury inunctions and suffumigations that people endured were painful and many patients died of mercury poisoning."
jmvh.org
So it is quite likely that Blackbeard's crew suffered from various stages of syphilis and medical supplies were worth more than gold, silver, or other booty! What do we have to support this theory?
In 1996, Blackbeard's ship, Queen Anne's Revenge, was found and ever since archaeologists and historians have been uncovering a trove of information. One of things found was an urethral syringe. The syringe was tested and mercury was determined to have been in it at one time!
"Among the finds was a urethral syringe that chemical analysis indicates originally contained mercury. Carnes-McNaughton told Live Science that this would have been used to treat syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease. "Eventually the mercury kills you," she said, explaining that the patient could suffer mercury poisoning."
www.livescience.com
So...medical supplies! Very interesting!
Thanks for putting up with my musings!
I have been listening to a variety of podcasts lately. One of them is the Our Fake History Podcast. The last two episodes have been about Blackbeard the Pirate. These two are really interesting because it puts Blackbeard in...well...maybe a slightly different light than we all thought about him.
How Bad was Blackbeard? (Part 1)
How Bad was Blackbeard? (Part 2)
Anyway...what is really interesting about the quote above is why would Blackbeard want medical supplies? Seriously...medical supplies from the Ruthless Edward Teach...if that was really his name. Previous to landing in Charleston, Blackbeard's fleet traveled the Mosquito Coast (Honduras) and it was thought that many of Teach's crew came down with Yellow Fever. But as the host of the Podcast said...while in Charleston...the crew acted a little too "Piratey" to have Yellow Fever. Meaning, Yellow Fever knocks you down and you can't really do much of anything.
The other theory...and probably likely...is that many of the crew maybe had a little too much fun while at the various ports and lands they traveled. Adult fun if you will. And quite certainly...contracted syphilis. So...in the early 1700s...how did you treat syphilis? Yeah...this one was really bizarre too me...but the treatment of syphilis was a mercury injection to the junk!
"In 1495 an epidemic of a new and terrible disease broke out among the soldiers of Charles VIII of France when he invaded Naples in the first of the Italian Wars, and its subsequent impact on the peoples of Europe was devastating – this was syphilis, or grande verole, the “great pox”. Although it didn’t have the horrendous mortality of the bubonic plague, its symptoms were painful and repulsive – the appearance of genital sores, followed by foul abscesses and ulcers over the rest of the body and severe pains. The remedies were few and hardly efficacious, the mercury inunctions and suffumigations that people endured were painful and many patients died of mercury poisoning."
Syphilis - Its early history and Treatment until Penicillin and the Debate on its Origins
Syphilis was once a dreaded and dreadful disease involving millions of US citizens. Before the introduction of penicillin.
jmvh.org
So it is quite likely that Blackbeard's crew suffered from various stages of syphilis and medical supplies were worth more than gold, silver, or other booty! What do we have to support this theory?
In 1996, Blackbeard's ship, Queen Anne's Revenge, was found and ever since archaeologists and historians have been uncovering a trove of information. One of things found was an urethral syringe. The syringe was tested and mercury was determined to have been in it at one time!
"Among the finds was a urethral syringe that chemical analysis indicates originally contained mercury. Carnes-McNaughton told Live Science that this would have been used to treat syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease. "Eventually the mercury kills you," she said, explaining that the patient could suffer mercury poisoning."
Blackbeard's Booty: Pirate Ship Yields Medical Supplies
Archaeologists are excavating the vessel that served as the flagship of the pirate Blackbeard, and they have recovered numerous pieces of medical equipment.
www.livescience.com
So...medical supplies! Very interesting!
Thanks for putting up with my musings!
