01882nas a2200265   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002600055653001100081653002600092653002600118653002200144653001100166653002000177653002400197653001100221653002400232100001700256700001900273245009400292300001100386490000700397520119800404022001401602       1998                            d  c1998 Dec10aCommunicable Diseases10aEurope10aHistory, 15th Century10aHistory, 16th Century10aHistory, Medieval10aHumans10aLife Expectancy10aNutrition Disorders10aPlague10aPopulation Dynamics1 aJankauskas R1 aUrbanavicius A00aDiseases in European historical populations and their effects on individuals and society.  a465-760 v223 a<p>Traditionally, populations are considered "historical" when first written evidences appear. Cultural development with all it's features--agricultural innovations and as a consequence--population growth, social specialisation and stratification, and finally--urbanisation trigger new environmental conditions, among them also in epidemiological situation, that have the feedback effects on the population and the individual. At this time only qualitative evaluations on many of questions can be presented. This paper is an attempt to synthesize available data on the following specific topics related to Medieval/Early Modern European population welfare: nutritional intake, malnutrition and famine; great epidemics and their consequences; spreading of specific infectious diseases (tuberculosis, syphilis, leprosy), which also had a great social resonance in those times, professional diseases. Considerations on their impact on demographical situation (life expectancy, birth rate), life quality and physical development and body build of an individual are also presented. Finally, possibilities for directional selection and impact on modern genetic diversity in Europe are discussed.</p>  a0350-6134