MadSci Network: Science History
Query:

Re: When were biological weapons first invented?

Date: Wed Mar 17 13:18:43 1999
Posted By: Dan Berger, MadSci Admin
Area of science: Science History
ID: 921363525.Sh
Message:

Nobody knows when biological weapons were first invented, but we know of their early use:

During the early Middle Ages, certain Asian and European armies (I don't remember which, but more than one!) made a practice of lobbing human corpses into enemy cities. They tried to use those who had died of contagious diseases. This practice continued for about five hundred years.

During the Spanish conquest of Mexico, Cortes' soldiers accidentally infected the Aztecs (as well as tribes which were allies of the Spanish) with an unidentified spotty disease, probably smallpox but possibly measles.

The Spanish (and later the English) are reported to have provided blankets contaminated with smallpox to some Native American tribes. Some of this may have been accidental, but some was unquestionably deliberate.

This ought to give you enough of a starting point for further research. Good luck!


Dan Berger
MadSci Administrator


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