1347 and on - - -

Recognize the possible causes of change in civilizations (diseases Bubonic Plague)

Identify conclusions about early world historical events using primary and secondary sources

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• There were many different beliefs about the plague; people were so scared because they weren’t sure what caused it. Some believed:– It was a punishment from God.– Some believed that foreigners or those who

followed a different religion had poisoned the wells.

– Some thought that bad air was responsible. – Some thought the position of the planets had

caused the plague.

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The question that you are probably thinking is this:Q: Who or what really caused the Black Death? A: The Oriental Rat Flea!

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We now know that the most common form of the Black Death was the BUBONIC PLAGUE!

This disease was spread by fleas which lived on the black rat.

The fleas sucked the rat’s blood which contained the plague germs.

When the rat died, the fleas jumped on to humans and passed on the deadly disease.

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Bubonic Plague.painful lymph node swellings,

buboesSepticemic Plague.

also called “blood poisoning”, attacked the blood system

Pneumonic Plague. attacked the respiratory system

Painful lymph node swelling, called buboes

In groins and armpits Oozing pus and blood Damage to the skin

and underlying tissue Dark blotches = acral

necrosis Black Death!

Swellings “egg apple” Fever of 101-105

degrees F Headaches and Aching

joints Nausea and vomiting (of

blood) General feeling of

malaise

Swellings expanding until they burst death following soon after

Whole process: 3-5 days

What are the symptoms of the plague?

Buboes – swollen lumps in the groin,Neck, or armpit

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A person suffering from the Bubonic Plague most likely would die within 4 to 7 days of first showing symptoms.

The plague killed 50% to 75% of its victims.

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Different beliefs about the plague led to some strange attempts at escaping the plague and some even stranger cures.

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The swellings should be softened with figs and cooked onions. The onions should be mixed with yeast and butter. Then open the swellings with a knife.

If the swellings burst and the poison came out people sometimes survived. It seemed sensible to draw out the poison.

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Take a live frog and put its belly on the plague sore. The frog will swell up and burst. Keep doing this with further frogs until they stop bursting.

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Rub the body with melted butter. Tie a small bag of garlic around your

neck. The smell would keep the plague away.

Go to church and ask for forgiveness.Avoid breathing in the same air as a

plague victim. Sit next to a blazing hot fire. Brick or board up houses with the sick

inside.17

The last outbreak of the plague in England was in 1665. The sensible thing to do when the plague struck was to get out of town, the rich could do this but the poor had nowhere to go.

By 1665, more than 25 million people had died from the plague.

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Second most commonly seen form of the Black Death

Infected the lungs. Symptoms:Slimy sputum tinted with blood (Sputum = saliva mixed with mucus

excreted from the respiratory system)Sputum became free flowing1-7 days for symptoms to appearMortality Rate : 90-95%

Airborne transmission – added to its danger!

Through bacteria in droplets of saliva coughed up by sick persons

Inhaled by bystanders New infection starts

directly in the lungs or throat.

Attacked the blood system (Blood Poisoning)

Fevers Skin turns deep

shades of purple due to DIC(disseminated intravascularcoagulation)

In its most deadly form, DIC causes a victim’s skin to turn dark purple, almost black = The Black Death.

Victims died the same day symptoms appeared.

Mortality Rate: close to 100%.

No treatment even today

Erupted in Gobi Desert, late 1320’s

Epidemic in Europe in 6th century but dormant since then

Reached the shores of Italy in 1348

Spread in every direction, primarily westward

Lasted 3 years

The progress of the plague coincides with the medieval trade routes

Iceland, North Finland, and North Sweden had no plague

Norway 1348 (Oslo, Bergen)

Denmark 1348, from Jutland to the islands, and then on to Sweden

Every 5-7 years Next plague: 1360 =

The Pest of the Children

Italian Plague 1629-1631

Great Plague of Vienna in 1679

Great Plague of London 1665-1666 – one of the last major outbreaks

Resembles modern day Ebola

Quarantine was the best methodAvoiding the sickThe wealthy fled to the countryside

(Isaac Newton)Pope Clement VI in Avignon sat

between two large fires to breathe pure air. The plague bacillus is destroyed by heat, so this worked!

Flagellants – self-flogging to

atone for sins. Popular after

disillusionment with the church’s reaction to the Black Death

Outside the Church

Christians - and an angry Deity.

Bands wandering through towns and countryside

Public penance. Inflicted all kinds of punishment upon themselves

Sacrifice for the sins of the world – like Jesus

Society disapproved

Tendency to kill Jews and clergymen who opposed them

Condemned by the Pope in 1349

Reappeared in times of plague into the 15th century

Approx. 25 million deaths in Europe

Between one third and one half of European population died 1348-1350

25% of villages depopulated

45-75% of Florence died in one year

In Venice, 60% died over 18 months

Urban populations recovered quicklyRural populations recovered slowlyFriars took a couple of generations to

recoverPre-plague population reached in the

1500s or 1600s

Later period of Middle Ages was characterized by chronically reduced population

1348: Gaza: 10.000 dead Aleppo: 500 dead per day Damascus: 1000 dead per

day Syria: total of 400.000

dead

Lower mortality rate in the Middle East of less than one third of population

Shortage of laborers rising wages for peasants and artisans

Valuable artisan skills disappearedOversupply of goods prices droppedFor the living, standard of living rose!Landlords stopped freeing their serfs

serfs revolting and leaving the landThe oppressed demanded fairer treatment

Persecutions of the Jews – scapegoats

Massacres and burnings

By 1351, 60 major and 150 smaller Jewish communities had been exterminated

Jews expelled, moved to Poland & Lithuania

Church lost prestige, spiritual authority, leadership

Promised cures, treatment, and explanations No answers to the people Revolt against the church Severe shortage of clergy – functioned as nurses

and consequently died. The church targeted the Jews for persecution –

had killed Jesus and brought sin to the world

Culture turned morbid Sense of death – impending &

inevitable Death is a game, like chess! Dance of death – death is

random Everyone suffered Despair

Danse Macabre = the dance of death: skeletons mingling with the living (here: Hans Holbein the Younger)

Shocking juxtapositions Written language almost

lost Coffins had pictures of

corpses on the lid New creativity in

motives

Ring a-round the rosy = rosary beads give you God’s help

Pocket full of posies = used to stop the odor of rotting bodies through to cause the plague

Ashes, ashes! = the church burned the dead when burying became too laborious

We all fall down! = dead Children suffered mentally and physically Children were not thought worth the trouble

to raise!

The bubonic Plague still exists Quite common among rodent

populations A cure is known today – but

the disease moves very quickly

The Plague is still with us

Hythe Ossuary, remains of victims of the Black Death