The terrifying wave of death and destruction that was the Black Death reached Europe in the 1340's, and left 25 million dead bodied in it's wake. Killing one third of the population, the Black Death left Europe shattered and pillaged. It stroke fear into the hearts of the bravest men, for there was no escape - one you were claimed, you were as good as dead.
But what actually caused the infamous illness? What impact did it have on Europe?
And what would happen if the Black Death resurfaced?
FUN FACT: Many historians and scholars think the nursery rhyme "ring around the rosy" was written about the symptoms that come with the black death.
When did the plauge infect europe?
According to historians, the Black Death arrived in Europe on boats in October 1347 on 12 Genoese trading ships docking in Messina. When the people gathered on the decks excitedly approached the ships, eager to meet the foreign tradesmen, they were met with a deadly surprise: most of the sailors were dead, and those remaining were on deaths door. Among a variety of symptoms, the sailors were sporting black boils that oozed blood and pus, marking Europe's first exposure to the infamous pustules that would give the plague it’s name. By 1352, it was essentially gone in Europe, leaving mass destruction in its wake.
By the time the ships pulled into Messina, Europeans had heard rumors of a plague striking other nations. The rumors were true: by the early 1340’s, it had already hit China, India, Persia, Syria, and Egypt. To follow the exact years the plague hit countries in Europe, look to the map. |
Organism, SYMPTOMS, and incubation period
The Bubonic Plague or Black Death is now known to be caused by a bacterium called Yersina Pestis. In 1894 bacteriologists Alexander Yersin and Shibasaburo Kitasato found Y. Pestis to be the cause of the outbreak in Hong Kong and India called the Third Pandemic, and traced its symptoms back to the black death.
This particular bacteria has to make up for its two major handicaps (not being able to survive outside the animals it infects and an inability to penetrate and hide in its host’s body cells) by having extreme strength. Y. Pestis has the ability to disable its host immune system by injecting toxins into defense cells whose job it is to fight bacterial infections. Once the immune system is out of the way, the bacteria can constantly multiply until it completely over takes its host. |
SYMPTOMS
Once a person started showing symptoms, they usually had about 2 - 7 days before death. The victims also presented with bad breath and odors, as if they were rotting from the inside out.
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How was it treated?
The Black Death had several treatments in medieval Europe, and here are some of the more popular ones -
Lancing the Buboes: These swellings were cut open to allow the disease to leave the body. Afterwards, a warm mixture of butter, onion, and garlic. Other poultices included those of tree resin , lily root, dried toad, and even human excrement. Bleeding: Bleeding was the act of cutting the veins leading to the heart open, and letting the patient bleed profusely. The idea behind this was that the disease was living in the blood, so by letting the person bleed the disease would leave along with the blood. Herbal remedies: Some medicines that supposedly cured those suffering included making a powder made from roasted shells of newly laid eggs, mixed with marigold, and cooked over a fire in a pot of good ale. Witchcraft: Some turned to witchcraft to rid themselves of the disease. Some of these treatments included placing a live hen next to the swelling to draw out the disease, and drinking two glasses of ones urine everyday. |
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