Humanities: HH 150-4 Ms. Polzik 10.20.16 Diseases and Devastation In fourteenth-century Europe, the Black Plague disrupted most of European society devastating many. The Black Plague was devastating to European society economically, demographically, and morally. The plague spread as devastatingly as it did because of the continuous spread via trade, and inadequate medical knowledge. One of the major consequences of the plague was anti-Semitism. One of the major reasons the plague spread so rapidly was trade. Infected fleas carried by rats would climb aboard the trade ships and carry the contagion to all of the major trading cities (DBQ introduction). Once the ships arrived, the plague would spread along the trade routes and infect thousands of people. The plague reached South Hampton before London because South Hampton is a major port (document 1). South Hampton is located on coast and London is more inland (DBQ Intro). Since South Hampton was effected by the plague before London, and South Hampton is a port where trade happens, we know that trade was one of the reasons the plague spread quickly. …show more content…
When the plague first infected a person, it began with swellings in the groin and armpit (Document 2). Some of the swellings could be the size of an apple or an egg (ibid.)! After the first swellings appeared, the whole body would soon be covered in dark and bluish grey spots (ibid.). Soon after these spots covered the body, death would be upon the infected person within days (ibid.). Many doctors tried to cure people of these symptoms, but many failed (ibid.) This was because of the nature of the illness or the ignorance of the doctors’ (ibid.). The doctors didn’t know enough about the disease to be able to effectively treat their patients’
From the depths of the Middle East during the Post-Classical period, two of the most powerful world religions emerged. Islam and Christianity, although sharing many similarities, also had their fair share of disagreements, one being their responses to the Black Death. The religion, demography, and interactions all contributed to the differentiation of Muslim and Christian reactions. Christians thought that the Black Death was sent from God as a punishment and blamed the Jews, while Muslims considered it a blessing and did not accuse any minority of initiating the outbreak.
The plague was spread by fleas, which were not effected by the disease. Fleas first infected the rats, which lived off garbage and sewage. The rats then spread the infection to the humans. Rats were a common sight in the cities, due to the poor sanitary conditions, so no one
patients. Because they were paid by the state, the doctors were able to treat both the
The carriers of this disease were rats and fleas. It first started off with fleas, then fleas would then jump on rats and the rats would give the disease to humans. The disease didn 't harm the fleas and the rats could only take so much without showing ill effects. Rats would get on ships and make everyone on the ships sick. This is how the Plague traveled.
In the late Middle Ages the worst evil known to man terrorized Europe. People were dropping dead everywhere and there was no place to put them. This vicious culprit was known as the Black Plague. During the 14th century in Europe millions of people died from the plague and the plague brought about great change. Before the plague there was peace and prosperity in the High Middle Ages and after the plague things were different. Historians consider the outbreak of the Black Plague a watershed moment because of great social, religious and economical changes.
The Black Death, the most severe epidemic in human history, ravaged Europe from 1347-1351. This plague killed entire families at a time and destroyed at least 1,000 villages. Greatly contributing to the Crisis of the Fourteenth Century, the Black Death had many effects beyond its immediate symptoms. Not only did the Black Death take a devastating toll on human life, but it also played a major role in shaping European life in the years following.
Beginning in the mid-fourteenth century, a plague swept the world like no other. It struck in a series of waves that continued into the eighteenth century. The first wave was estimated to have killed twenty-five million people, about a third of the Western Europe population at that time. Throughout the different outbreaks, the plague, also known as the Bubonic Plague or the Black Death, caused people to react in several ways. Some people believed the plague was a medical problem that can be treated, some found themselves concerned only with their own greed, still others believed there was nothing they could do and reacted in fear, and most people believed it was a form of divine
The Black Death was one of the most devastating outbreaks in the history of mankind. In Europe alone, approximately 38 million people succumbed to the diseases. The high number of victims was due to ill prepared masses and lack of necessary measures to curb the diseases. As the leader of the town of Toledo, I endeavored to enable protection for the town from the spread of the plague. In order to control the outbreak, I led the town by administering health measures as well as necessary actions, maintaining the stability and security of the town.
The Bubonic Plague came to Europe in 1347. It was brought on ships with goods from Asia. The disease followed on trade routes as it swept through Europe. The manure and trash in Europe helped the disease spread and hard to get away from since the disease was carried by rats. The plague began with swellings as big as apples. The swellings spread as the body started to be covered in dark spots and sickness set in (document
In document 2 it states, “To cure these infirmities neither the advice of the physicians nor the power of medicine appeared to have any value or profit; perhaps either the nature of the disease did not allow for any cure or the ignorance of the physicians . . . did not know how to cure it; as a consequence, very few were ever cured; all died three days after the appearance of the first outward signs, some lasted a little bit longer, some died a little bit more quickly, and some without fever or other symptoms.” This shows that many people died quickly because the physicians did not understand how to deal with the rapid spreading of this disease and how to treat it. Also, document 6 states “Medieval physicians wore outfits made of cloth or leather to protect themselves from the plague. The bird-like beak contained spices and vinegar-soaked cloth to mask the stench of death and decay.” This indicates the common belief back then that the smell of the dead bodies was spreading the disease. This also demonstrates the ignorance physicians had about germs which was a big part of why the plague affected so many people in such a short amount of
With lacking medical knowledge, people never really grasped the concept or the cause of this epidemic; therefore, they did not know what to do to help cure or stop the spread of it. “In spite of only sketchy medical knowledge, the epidemiology of the plague was fully understood by the 18th century. It took many years of research, after the fact, to finally comprehend all the ins
The plague was transmitted through an infected rodent such as a rat or by ticks or fleas. A person would become ill within two to three days after being infected with the plague. Within the short time that the plague was alive, nearly 60% of England’s population had been hit with this horrible disease. At times there wasn’t enough living people to bury all the
The bubonic plague has been around for almost two thousand years. In most early cases the plague was spread from China along the Silk Road. The Silk Road was the over land trade route from the orient that silk, spices, and other trade able goods from the east to western Europe. In most cases rats carrying the Oriental Rat Flea or another animal carrying the flea would move to a new location. Once that animal died the flea would move to another host which could be a human. Once bitten by the flea a bubo begins to form when the bubo begins to ooze fluid the illness can then be passed through touch. As stated above in the Middle
In the 1300s, Europe was thriving with new innovations and huge cities that covered the country. Most of Europe was urban and very crowd with a population of 50,000 (“Middle Ages”). The 1300s was a period known as the Middle Ages, which represents the time where the Roman Empire and the Constantinople fell. During this time around 1350, infectious disease was spreading through the streets of Europe. Approximately, 20 million people died in Europe from the plague, which is roughly around one-third of the population (“Black Plague”). The Black Plague affected European civilization and how European society viewed the world. The renaissance is a prime example of how the Black Plague affected Europe. The Black Plague helped influence people
The survival rate of those infected with the Black Death was a mere forty to fifty percent (Christiansen, slide 3). Twenty-five to fifty percent of the European population is estimated to have declined because of the plague within the five years of the disease’s prevalence (Spielvogel p.222). The physicians at the time did not know what the disease was, nor did they know how to treat it. Once the plague was in full force, it did not take much time before the “ most reputable and well-trained