Cherokee_Plagues+and+Diseases

=Plagues and Diseases = Celeste Billung-Meyer (back to rise)

Diseases
 - Smallpox was the biggest problem/ disease among the Cherokee - Overtime, numerous epidemics nearly wiped out more than half the population - Also diseases like syphilis, measles, mumps, influenza, yellow fever, typhus and bubonic plague did nothing to help the population (Melissa Sue Halverson, [|Evolution])

Cause
 - Most of these diseases traveled from Europe to North America with the new settlers (Melissa Sue Halverson, [|Evolution]) - The Cherokee had no previous experience with these diseases, therefore had no immunity to them(Melissa Sue Halverson, [|Evolution]) - Smallpox spreads through face to face contact for the most part, though it can also spread through shared bodily fluids or unclean bed sheets (World Health Organization, [|Smallpox]) - Probably one of the biggest causes was that they just did not understand the disease at all

Cure
- The most well known 'cure' for smallpox was sweat baths; in a small earth- covered log house, the person would go sit next to some giant heated rocks and have a concoction of beaten root of wild parsnip poured over the rocks. The door to the house would be closed and the person would sit in the steam. Of course, immediately the person would start sweating. (Dallas Bogan, [|Practices]) - Unfortunately sweat baths were not really a cure and it actually increased the morality rate among the Cherokee (Dallas Bogan, [|Practices]) - Currently there are no treatments or vaccines for smallpox, however, if within four days of being exposed to smallpox and before the rashes appear, then there is something that you can take to help (World Health Organization, [|Smallpox]) - Some other 'cures' to various illnesses were; herb treatments, bleeding (for rheumatism), rubbing (for pains and swelling of the abdomen), medicine dance (for warding off evil spells and bad dreams) and cold baths (regular treatment of various diseases) (Dallas Bogan, [|Practices])