Sweating Sickness Initial rumors about sweating sickness, or "sudor Angelicus," occurred on this date in 1485, in England. Sweating sickness was marked by high fever, delirium and high mortality. Patients first suffered from headache, nausea and fever, then broke out within 24 hours into a smelly sweat, labored heartbeat and breathing. Chroniclers at the time (in addition to 1485, outbreaks occurred again in 1507, 1517, 1528 and 1551) noted that healthy young males were most often afflicted. Later historians wondered whether sweating sickness was really encephalitis or a serious type of influenza.
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