You are on page 1of 13

The Black Death

By: James Foust


English Lit I
Dr. Buckelew

Artists Statement
The topic of The Black Death was chosen out of interest and
a personal desire to further my knowledge of the specifics
about the pandemic. This was a wide spread disease that took
millions of lives and was devastating to the people of that time
as well as their life styles. I wish to accurately further
knowledge of the basic origins, transmissions, types/strains,
prevention measures, and effects that the disease caused. This
was one of the darkest hours in the history of mankind and
much can be learned from the mistakes of our ancestors.

Origins
The Black Death is believed to have
originated in central Asia (early public).
Asian travelers led by Zheng He, are as well
as European traders traveling the Silk Road
aided in the journey of the disease from Asia
to Egypt, Africa, and the Mediterranean
(Nordqvist). Some studies into the genome of
the original disease has supported the
thought that the plague originated in Asia.
Once it arrived at the Mediterranean,
merchant ships helped transport the plague
to Britain and other far reaches of Europe.

Transmission

The main carries for the plague were


inside fleas that were attached to black rats
(Nordqvist). These rats stowed away on
http://www.pestmall.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Flea-PestControl-3
merchant ships and brought the plague to
the ships destination. The bacterium Yersinia
pestis was the cause for the disease.
Cramped living conditions and a lack of a
sewage system helped the plague explode in
Europe.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Rattus_rattus_01_reframe

Septicemic
The septicemic form of the plague was
contracted by being bitten by an infected
flea or rat (Plague). The symptom specific
to this form was bleeding under the skin or of
other organs (Plague). Other symptoms
common to the other forms included fever,
chills, weakness, and abdominal pain. This
form was rarely contracted from face to face
interaction.

http://www.visualdx.com/assets/images/939.jpg

Pneumonic
The pneumonic form was the most
contagious of all the forms. Face to face
interaction with the infected meant almost
certain contraction of the plague because it
was spread through respiratory droplets
(Plague). Symptoms included fever,
headache, weakness, and cough with a
bloody or watery discharge (Plague). The xray to the left shows the effect this form has
on the lungs of its victim.

http://www.christem.com/storage/hanta%20virus%20pulmonary%2
0syndrome.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1406548832567

Bubonic
The bubonic form of the plague infected
people via flea or rodent bites (Plague).
This form of the plague infected the
lymphatic system which is an essential part
of the bodys immune system (Plague). The
infection would lead to the inflammation of
the lymph nodes (Plague). Symptoms took
3-7 days for to become painfully noticeable
(Plague).

http://bubonicplagueeffectsonhistory.weebly.com/uploads/1/5/8/6/15863166/7303
0_orig.jpg

Physical Treatments
Physical treatments of the plague were
derived from the knowledge of the
physicians but had not effect in curing the
disease. One method was to lance the
buboes and apply a mixture of root and tree
resin to the open wound (Cures). Another
method was to wash the body of the infected
in vinegar and rose water (Cures). Bleeding
of the veins leading to the heart were
thought to have allowed the pestilence to
leave the body (Cures). These remedies did
nothing to pause the spread of The Black
Death.
http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/58/8558-004-C795BC86.jpg

Chemical Treatments
Other forms of treatment included the
use of natural herbs and even the use of
witchcraft. One medicinal treatment called
for the ingredients of roasted newly laid egg
shells, and chopped marigold petals
(Cures). These ingredients were put into a
good ale and were to be drank twice a day
(Cures). A witchcraft method to aid the
aliment included putting a chicken next to
the infected to help draw out the disease
(Cures). The witchcraft methods also
recommended the drinking of ones own
urine twice a day (Cures).

http://i2.wp.com/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/original.jpeg.jpg

Prevention #1
Diet was one of the lesser known
prevention measures taken by those in
medieval times. One of the main rules of
thumb was not to eat food that goes bad
easily (Cures). These foods included meats,
cheeses, and fish (Cures). The foods that
were okay to eat were breads, fruits, and
vegetables (Cures). This was ineffective
because rats would get into grain storages
and infected the food supply.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Medieval_baker.jpg

Prevention #2
The main prevention measure dealt with
the sanitation of the dead and public areas.
First the streets were to be cleaned of all
animal and human excrement (Cures). The
collected excrement was to be taken out of
the city and burned (Cures). Next, all dead
bodies were to be buried in deeply dug holes
(Cures). Also all clothes of the deceased
were to be taken out of the city, like the
waste, and burned to prevent further spread
of disease (Cures).
http://www.notabene.ru/history/chumbunt.gif

Effects
The effects of the Black Death were extreme.
The death toll is estimated around 100 million
taking about 1/2 of Chinas population, 1/3 of
Europes population, and 1/8 of Africas population
(Nordqvist). It took Europe approximately 150 years
to replenish its population after the plague
(Nordqvist). Because the workforce was depleted,
conditions had to be improved to bring in workers
(Italian Studies). The increase in the standard of
living made social classes more distinct where the
rich began to separate themselves from lower
classes even more (Italian Studies). Also religion
declined due to the ineffectiveness of the churches
ability to cure or ward off disease (Italian Studies).

http://www.rhetoric-culture.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/breaksgraphs.

Bibliography

Cures for the Black Death. History Learning Site.co.uk. 2014. Web. 9 Mar. 2015
<http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk>

Italian Studies Departments Virtual Humanities Lab. Social and Economic Effects of the
Plague. Decameron Web. Brown University, 12 Mar. 2010. Web. 9 Mar. 2015
<http://www.brown.edu>

Nordqvist, Christian. Origins Of The Black Death Traced Back To China, Gene Sequencing
Has Revealed. Medical News Today. 1 Nov. 2010. Web. 9 Mar. 2015
<http://www.medicalnewstoday.com>

Plague. Medicine Net. 16 Jan. 2008. Web. 9 Mar. 2015


<http://www.medicinenet.com>

The Black Death and early public health measures. ScienceMuseum.org.uk. Web. 9 Mar.
2015 <http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk>

You might also like