The Plague an Inspiration for Bioweapons?

The Plague an Inspiration for Bio weapons?

Ever since September 11^th 2001 and the anthrax mailing incident of the same year the threat of bio weapons have lingered in the air. Bio weapons as defined by Merriam-Webster online are any harmful biological agent such as a pathogenic microorganism or neurotoxin used as a weapon to cause death or disease on a large scale. The black plague was caused by a bacteria which we now know as Yersinia Pestis carried by fleas that infested rats. The rats arrived along the Mediterranean coast via merchant ships when the rats got off the ships and took the fleas with them poor sanitation and tight living quarters lead to the rapid spread of the plague.  A disease that presented its self with enlarged lymph nodes, fever, chills, vomiting, and tiny broken blood vessels. After its presentation in 1347 it spread rapidly throughout Europe killing up to half of the population in just five short years. This rapid spreading of disease and death made me think of the purpose of bio weapons and the possible connection between that catastrophic event of the past and the bio weapons of the present. 

            When I began research on the matter I was pleased to see that my connection between the plague and bio warfare in fact had truth. The history of bio weapons does in fact date back to the plague, although the Black Death was caused by naturally occurring epidemic people soon noticed that diseased bodies could spread the plague, and the dead bodies of victims of the plague were flung at enemy troops which contributed to the spread of the plague and death of ones enemies.  Throughout centuries this knowledge has grown and become more and more of a threat to the world. Bio weapons have been used in every prominent war since the time and often have more frightening effect than the traditional weapons one would think of.

The American Revolution

-          The first organized bio warfare attack which included the British inoculating their troops against small pox and trying to spread the disease to rebel troops through civilians. Quarantine of victims in Boston prevented this, while in Quebec cases of small pox  caused a retreat. 

      World War One

-          The mode of biochemical attack was through livestock which infected and sent to the allies which had little effect compared to the mustard gas toxin used at the time

·         Mustard gas toxin in the war killed over 4,000 people and affected approximately 16,000

World War Two 

-          The Japanese were known to test many bio weapons including anthrax, cholera, typhoid, and plague killing nearly 10,000 Chinese test subjects                                                                                                   

       
     The Cold War

-          Continuing work with bio weapons and the fear associated with it lead to one hundred nations to sign the biological and toxic weapons convention.

·         Three key provisions

1.      Never under any circumstances to acquire or retain biological weapons

2.      To destroy or divert to peaceful purposes biological weapons and associated resources prior to joining
                        

                                 Participating Countries 

3.      Not to transfer or in any way assist encourage or induce anyone else to acquire or retain biological weapons.
                                      

Although the treaty continues to be in affect it is no mystery that many countries are still producing and studying bio weapons and that they will utmost always be a threat the top ten scariest bio weapons as listed by a discovery sight are

10. Small Pox

 9. Anthrax

 8. Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever

 7. Plague 6.Tularemia                                     

 5. Botulism Toxin

 4. Rice Blast

 3. Rinderpest

 2. Nipah Virus

 1. Chimera Viruses   

As you can see the effect that the plague had on the future of war fare was tremendous, and the plague its self is not an unlikely weapon that could be used in the future. The observations that a few men made hundreds of years ago affected the future for all time to come. Since the dawn of time people have participated in war, wars have been perhaps the most prominent factor in the forming the world we live into today. Conquering one another, competition and domination are part of what makes us human they are deep desire embedded in each and every one of us that can lead to either success or failure. Disease is another innate characteristic of life that has at times such as the plague of the Middle Ages threatened all of humanity. So when the ominous desires of man and the destructive abilities of nature join forces the effect has the potential to be the most catastrophic event of all time. A possible future event that has roots in the most fatal natural disaster of the western world. 

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