A quick overview:
Various diseases that are no longer deadly today posed a significant threat until the 20th century. The reason for this was the lack of medical care, or its extreme inadequacy and poor quality. There were no hospitals or healthcare centers as we know them today, and a doctor’s visit was very expensive. A farmer couldn’t afford a doctor, as he would have to sell a cow to pay for it – and then he would have nothing left to live on. The sick would stay at home in bed, and their family members would care for them with remedies, most of which were based on local herbs – the only ones they knew and had access to. Vaccines were not yet known at that time.

One of the deadliest epidemics in modern times was the so-called Black Death. The plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, can affect different parts of the body: lymph nodes, lungs, blood, or skin.
The bacterium is typically transmitted through a host – usually fleas. When fleas suck the blood of mammals, they simultaneously spread the bacterium. Within about two weeks, the plague can decimate an entire rat colony. The fleas then have to seek a new host – often a human. While the fleas survive, the humans often do not.

The Outbreak of the Plague and Measures in 1682
In 1679, the plague began spreading in the region of Dravsko polje. At first, people comforted themselves with the belief that their neighbors were dying from “fever.” They ignored the symptoms of the disease and did not follow the recommended safety measures – such as avoiding social contact. The bodies of the deceased turned black and emitted a terrible stench. The plague relentlessly spread from house to house, growing rapidly.

The government sent a plague commissioner, who settled in Ptujska Gora in 1682. He ordered that any house where someone had contracted the plague should be completely sealed off. The houses were marked with a large white cross. The residents were placed under complete quarantine. Food, medicine, and other necessities were passed to them through the window. Some people, afraid to leave the house, even voluntarily went into quarantine…