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Essay On The Aztecs

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Essay On The Aztecs
The behavioral and lifestyle factors of the Spaniards brought about the cruelest epidemiological event in the history of the world. For example, the Spaniards arrival and subsequent conquest of the native population resulted in a catastrophic die-off of the native population not by wounds, but by a host of infectious diseases that they carried to which the native population had no immunity. At length, Aztec thought that the wildfire spread of this disease is the divine action of the gods. Culture shock, severe depression, and disruption of the family among the survivors shattered their civilization (Anderson, 2007, p. 149).
Access to food varies with social status. Eighty percent of the Aztecs diet is corn and amaranth, and the average diet
…show more content…
Their lifestyle patterns included the job responsibilities of sweeping the streets, maintaining canals, planting aromatic trees, and lighting the streets at night. Moreover, aquifers transported clean water in and out of the city. The Aztecs spurn unpleasant odors, they were very clean in terms of hygiene, and prohibited the dumping waste (Anderson, 2007, p. 148).
In the final analysis, the cleanliness of the Aztecs lifestyles which prevented many diseases is what doomed them to an ill-fate, and resulted in the rapid decline of the American population during the 16th century. The diffusion of many communicable diseases from the Old to New World, and in some cases, vice versa; the consequences of exotic foods on nutrition and health; the addiction to drugs exported or imported between America and Europe; and the way in which diagnosis contributed to and prevented illnesses (Berlinguer, 1992).
From my research, I found it noteworthy that they used of human excrement, feces, and urine to fertilize the soil. Additionally, this impacted the ecosystem surrounding them. Their environment may or may not have contributed to the sickness. Although, they were clean, they polluted the water and air, and contaminated the soil (Anderson, 2007, p.

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