Justus Friedrich Carl Hecker's (also known as J. F. C. Hecker) The Black Death in the Fourteenth Century served as an introduction to the black death plague for students and lay-people alike for many years. Written in the 19th century, the book recounts the medical understanding of the disease at the time. Though much of this information has been updated with developments in medicine, Hecker still adds useful commentary in his explanations of the causes, mortality rates, and medical treatment of one of the world's most historic medical catastrophes.