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 the Plague,  or  "Black  Death,"  and  among  its  symptoms were  the  turning  black  of  the  tongue,  parching of  the  throat,  violent  headache,  fever,  and boils on  the  abdomen. The malady  attacked  its victims suddenly,  bereft  them  of  reason,  and caused death  in  a  few  hours,  so  that  many  died without the  last  sacraments. Fear caused many attacks  and  disrupted  social  and  family ties. To all  appearances,  the  disease  was  incurable.

During this  period  of  general  affliction  the people in  pious  confidence  turned  toward  Heaven, and had  recourse  to  the  intercession  of  the  saints, praying to  be  spared  an  attack,  or  to  be  cured when stricken. Among the  saints  invoked  since the earliest  times  of  the  Church  as  special  patrons in certain  diseases  were:  St. Christopher and  St. Giles  against  the  plague,  St.  Dionysius  against headache, St. Blase against  ills  of  the  throat,  St. Catherine  against  those  of  the  tongue,  St. Erasmus against those  of  the  abdomen,  St.  Barbara against fever,  St. Vitus against  epilepsy. St. Pantaleon was  the  patron  of  physicians,  St. Cyriacus was  had  recourse  to  in  temptations,  especially in  those  at  the  hour  of  death;  St.  Achatius was invoked  in  death  agony;  Sts. Christopher, Barbara, and  Catherine  were  appealed  to  for protection against  a  sudden  and  unprovided death; the  aid  of  St.  Giles  was  implored  for