Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo 2014 Volume 142, Issue 11-12, Pages: 764-767
https://doi.org/10.2298/SARH1412764V
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Inadequate burials as an important factor in plague epidemic amongst Serbs in the Habsburg Monarchy by the end of the 18th century: A historical analysis
Vasin Goran (Faculty of Philosophy, History Department, Novi Sad)
Božanić Snežana (Faculty of Philosophy, History Department, Novi Sad)
Kisić-Božić Milica (Faculty of Philosophy, History Department, Novi Sad)
Analysis of the archaic customs of burying the deceased in Srem, primarily
amongst Serbs, in the second half of the 18th century is the essential part
of the paper that aims at clarifying the consequences of this negative habit
onto the spreading of plague epidemic. The Austrian Empire tried to stop and
prevent the epidemic with an array of legal norms, but in practice, these
orders were often not upheld. Serbian Metropolitans Pavle Nenadović and
Stefan Stratimirović insisted on eradicating superstition and retrograde,
often uncivilized actions in burial rituals, and they partially succeeded.
The example of plague in Irig and the surroundings in 1795-1796 explicitly
shows the hazardous effects of the inadequate attitude towards the deceased
as one of the factors in spreading the epidemic. Using primary archives, and
published sources, with adequate literature, authors depict this complex
historical process.
Keywords: burial, plague, epidemic, archaic customs, church, history of medicine