This book chronicles the influence of diseases on individuals, nations and the course of history. Despite the fact that a man's health often dictates his actions, scant reference has been made by historians to the pernicious effects wrought by mad monarchs and syphillitic statesmen throughout history. Parallels are drawn between the human responses to the major epidemics of history, the ravages of the Black Death, the cholera outbreak and AIDS. Common to all are ideas of retribution, reliance on quack remedies, the search for scapegoats, and ostracism by family and friends. Certain diseases were even thought to be beneficial. Victorian women regarded TB as sexually alluring, and it was thought that TB, syphillis, epilepsy, morphine addiction or madness increased the chances of being a genius.