Spread Of The Plague example essay topic

In the fourteenth century Europe was cursed by a deadly plague, which killed one third of Europe's people. This epidemic is known as the Black Death, or the Bubonic Plague. The plague was carried by rats and fleas along the trading posts, rapidly covering Europe. The plague is greatly effective when it attacks the weak and at this point in time Europe was already weakened from poor farming. The Black Death crept through walls, ceilings, and floors... But there was no avoiding it.

One tiny insect forever changed the course of history in Europe. The spread of the plague was vastly wide. Between 1339 and 1351, the Black Death traveled from China to Europe. The plague is carried by rodent and then it is transmitted to humans from the fleas.

Since the plague is not native to Europe, it resides in Central Asia, Yun an China, Arabia, East Africa, and some areas of Iran and Libya. It reached the Mediterranean Basin in 1347. In 1347, it hit Constantinople, Alexandria, Geno and ports in Sicily and Cyprus. Then the Plague entered France, and in Paris it hit maximum death lose. Averaging as many as 800 people a day.

The Plague was particularly harsh in Scandinavia, 45-50% population died. But in Iceland it killed 60% of population. In the 1350, two-thirds of China's population lay dead and in 1351 somewhere from 25-50% of the population of all Europe was dead also. At this point the plague finally reached the region in which it entered.

These outbreaks and the spread still continue to this day, but with advanced medical techniques it is no longer a major threat. (web) The Plague is caused by the bacillus Yersinia Pestis, known as the most fatal disease of the Middle Ages. (Stefani) The Black Death varied in to three different forms: bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic. (web) The first symptoms of the Bubonic plague was a blackish pustule, followed by a swollen lymph nodes. Then bruise-like purple blotches, called buboes. Insomnia, delirium and stupor usually follows. Death comes in about 1-7 days. The Septicaemic plague is more like the bubonic plague.

Very similar symptoms, but death occurs in one day of getting the disease. The Pneumonic is is spread from person to person unlike the other two plagues spread by insects and infects the lungs. After two to three days after exposer the victum has a e xterm temperature drop, followed by a horrilbe headaches, sever coughing, and bloody discharge. The mortality rate for Pneumonic plague was 90-95% in the fourteenth century, but if treated tody it would be 5-10%. The Septicaemic plague still has no treatment. Before the plague orignin's were figured out there was Galen's theory.

In this theory, the disease was spread by miasmas, or poisonous vapors from swamps that corrupted the air. (Stefani) People were urged to stay away from such things and keep inside. Also people were to wash their hands and feet often but not their body for that it opens up the pores, another way for disease to enter. One found that sleeping on your back was discouraged because it allowed for foul vapors to enter noses more easily.

People also held flowers under the nose because they thought that foul smelling air cause the plague. Physicians had this ludacris theory that when someone was infected they would bled them from the heart to get the over heated blood out before it could circulate. They would also bled near the buses, to heal infected areas. Bleeding was meant to cool down the body, but in realality it only made the patient weaker. Another "cure" was to light a large bonfire and make sure that the miasmas did not find you. (Stefani) Out of all aspects the economy was probably hit the hardest.

"The biggest problem was that valuable artisan skills disappeared when large numbers of the working class died" (Cartwright) People who were skill full now became more valuable than the rich. Society changed giving the poor more to say about that is going on. Demanded higher wages and seeking liberation are just examples of what the peasants and artisans now could gain. Slaves started to leave their home because they wanted to enjoy life. Animals died of starvation.

Farming became rather rare. All shops were closed, t avens shut, only church remained open at these desperate times. A cult called the "Bechini" were busy raping, murdering, and trashing homes while dressed in all red. In addition people left their homes and migrated to cities with higher wages. "Small towns and cities grew while portable large estates and motors began to collapse". (Cartwright) The economic structure of Europe was forever altered.

"The horror of the Black Death had taken on a new victum, the economy" (Cartwright) There were efforts to stop the Plague b utmost had a harsh outcome. Most physician quit and moved for fear of the plague. Some methods did persist. For example, I Milan officials would wall off house with the sick in with the heathy.

Venice would isolate all in coming ships on a separate island. Even still people did die but fewer died in Milan and Venice then in most cities. (web) "When the government acts to prevent or control a calamity, but the calamity persists, people turn to cures. Many believed that the disease was transmitted upon the air, probably because the smell from the dead and dying was so awful. So, the living turned to scents to ward off the deadly vapors. People burned all manner of incense: juniper, laurel, pine, beech, lemon leaves, rosemary, camphor and sulfur. Others had handkerchiefs dipped in aromatic oils, to cover their faces when going out.

Another remedy was the cure of sound. Towns rang church bells to drive the plague away, for the ringing of town bells was done in crises of all kinds. Other towns fired cannons, which was new and made a comfortingly loud ding. There were no ends to talismans, charms, and spells that could be purchased from the local wise woman or apothecary.

Many people knew of someone's friend or cousin who had drank elderberry every day, or who had worn a jade necklace, and who had survived the dreaded disease". (Knox) The Church also took a toll on Plague. "People throughout Christendom had prayed devoutly for deliverance from the plague" (Stefani) Did these people get their deliverance? No, they got death. This point in history brought lots of doubt towards they church and lots of philosophical questioning. There was lots of anger toward the Roman Catholic Church and the persecution of the Jews intensified.

Churches were almost forced to help because people looked to them for help. So victims of the disease would often stay in monasteries and hospitals run by church officials. The disease had a horrid impact on children. The children suffered. The following was a common nursery rhyme at the time. Ring a-round the rosy Pocket full of posies Ashes, ashes!

We all fall down! Ring around the rosy: rosary beads give you God's help. A pocket full of posies: used to stop odor of rotting bodies. Ashes, ashes: the church would burn the dead.

We all fall down: dead. (Cartwright) Children were mentally scared, by being exposed to nudity, insanity, and lots of death. Parents would often leave their children behind when fleeing from the disease thinking they are "not worth the trouble" But when they would take a child they would also take the boy because they could carry on the family name and girls could just "fend for themselves" Also after the plague the Brit h rate continued to drop because in fear of the next outburst. It took four hundred years before Europe's population equaled was what it was before the Black Death. "The Damage to art is irreparable" (Cartwright) As death grew art written language was almost lost. Now without the written words art took on a whole new meaning.

Carvings changed. Paintings from this time period usually had people socializing with skeletons called "danse macabre" Artists were now so depressed from all the death they stopped doing work idolizing their religion but were now focus on pictures of sad and dead people. The Black Death wiped out one-third of Europe's population. From 1347 to 1352 the population dropped an estimated 25 million. The Plague died out in the winter but in the spring it attacked again, killing new victims. Survivors lived in constant fear of the plague's return.

The disease did not disappear until the 1600's. With the tragic losses Europe suffered it took a long time to rebuild the population. But it makes one think that even the smallest things hold great power.