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| Marshal Ney supporting the Rear Guards during the retreat from Moscow (Adolphe Yvon, 1856). |
This is something new for A Fast Game but let’s see
where it goes. I’m a magpie for interesting informational titbits, especially
at the juncture of history and science. Every so often I’ll stumble across
something that may be of, and this seemed like something others may also find
interesting, and this is a case in point.
We’ve all heard of Napoleon’s fateful march into
Russia and an encroaching winter, and the subsequent retreat of the Emperor and
his Grand Armée deeper into the winter, resulting in the loss of roughly 300,000
soldiers (as well as unnumbered camp-followers, horses and livestock). While
fatigue, starvation, and continual harassment by Cossack bands all contributed
to the numbers of dead left behind, the single largest killer was disease. This
has been well established for some time, but in the absence of conclusive
evidence, there have been competing theories as to what disease was responsible.
A recent study published just a few days ago in Current Biology, has provided some
clarity on this matter. A study of DNA extracted from the intact teeth from the
remains of thirteen fallen French soldiers located in a mass grave near Vilnius,
Lithuania, has offered the first direct proof of the offending microbe.
I’m not going to spoil the surprise here; you'll have to read it yourself. If you’re
medically minded, you may enjoy wading into the research via the above link to
the paper. I’m no biologist; if you’re like me, go read this brilliantly brief and accesible summary of the research by Becky Ferreira from her weekly email newsletter, The Abstract. Ms Ferreira has a
talent for making the esoteric both fathomable and engaging for someone without much
of a science background.
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