Worksheet  5

Civil War in England. Cromwell comes to Ireland.

Chapter 8
1 How many days to get the fever down if the children are to get better?



2 What did Alys see on Mary's neck?

3. Where were the swellings on Slaney?
   

Bubonic plague:
So called because buboes, or enlarged, inflamed lymph nodes appear in the groin or armpit or on the neck.
Bubonic plague is passed from person to person by the bite of fleas that live on rats.
In bubonic plague, the first symptoms are headache, nausea, vomiting, aching joints, and a high temperature. The lymph nodes of the groin or, less commonly, of the armpit or neck, suddenly become painful and swollen. The buboes swell until they are the size of a chicken egg . In non-fatal cases, the temperature begins to fall in about five days, and approaches normal in about two weeks. In fatal cases, death results in about four days.

Look at the picture of the burial slab for the two O'Brien children on the last page of 'Dark Days at Drumshee'. How many mistakes and old-fashioned spellings can you find? Try to think of a reason why there are so many mistakes.

Imagine a town or a city. Someone comes. He or she is very ill with the plague. Write down what happens. Do other people get it? Does it spread through the whole place?

Plague was always worst in big cities and towns, and not too bad in the countryside. Why do you think that was? Write down some reasons.