Editor's Note - 1699

Casualties from Disease

Elizabeth's brother may have died from any of a number of illnesses. Colds and influenza were common. Scurvy occurred widely among the early colonists. Many colonists also developed lung ailments and fevers, consumption, and diphtheria. Beginning in the mid-1600's, several epidemics of measles and smallpox swept through the colonies and killed large numbers of people.