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Questions and Answers
What is the estimated range of European population decimated by the Black Death?
What is the estimated range of European population decimated by the Black Death?
How did the Black Death impact the Church?
How did the Black Death impact the Church?
How did the art style change after the Black Death?
How did the art style change after the Black Death?
What impact did the Black Death have on the economy?
What impact did the Black Death have on the economy?
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What effect did the Black Death have on serfdom?
What effect did the Black Death have on serfdom?
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What is the primary causative agent of the Black Death?
What is the primary causative agent of the Black Death?
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What symptom is characteristic of Bubonic Plague?
What symptom is characteristic of Bubonic Plague?
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Which form of the Black Death is the most deadly?
Which form of the Black Death is the most deadly?
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What was one of the speculated causes of the origin of the Black Death?
What was one of the speculated causes of the origin of the Black Death?
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What type of symptoms did people infected with Pneumonic Plague experience?
What type of symptoms did people infected with Pneumonic Plague experience?
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What is a possible consequence of septicemic plague?
What is a possible consequence of septicemic plague?
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During what time period did the Black Death primarily occur?
During what time period did the Black Death primarily occur?
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Which of the following best describes 'Gangrene'?
Which of the following best describes 'Gangrene'?
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Which of the following was NOT a common belief about the Black Death?
Which of the following was NOT a common belief about the Black Death?
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What was a primary role of plague doctors?
What was a primary role of plague doctors?
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What was the main purpose of the beak-shaped mask worn by plague doctors?
What was the main purpose of the beak-shaped mask worn by plague doctors?
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Which of the following factors contributed to the spread of the Black Death?
Which of the following factors contributed to the spread of the Black Death?
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What was the primary purpose of the long, black overcoat worn by plague doctors?
What was the primary purpose of the long, black overcoat worn by plague doctors?
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What was a consequence of not understanding the cause of the Black Death?
What was a consequence of not understanding the cause of the Black Death?
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What is the primary reason estimating the death toll of the Black Death is difficult?
What is the primary reason estimating the death toll of the Black Death is difficult?
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Which of the following could be considered a consequence of the belief that the Black Death was divine punishment?
Which of the following could be considered a consequence of the belief that the Black Death was divine punishment?
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Study Notes
Black Death (1347-1351)
- A devastating global pandemic of bubonic plague
- Caused by the bacteria Yersinia Pestis, a zoonotic bacteria
- Also known as the bubonic plague
- Affected Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s
Key Terms
- Bubo: Enlarged lymphatic gland
- Yersinia Pestis: Zoonotic bacteria causing the plague
- Septicemic: Disease caused by bacteria spreading through bloodstream
- Sputum (Phlegm): Thick mucus produced in the lungs
- Gangrene: Potentially deadly health problem; blood flow to tissue is cut off leading to tissue death; affected skin turns greenish-black
Categories of Black Death
- Bubonic Plague: Infection in lymph nodes (buboes)
- Pneumonic Plague: Infection in the lungs
- Septicemic Plague: Infection in the blood (most deadly)
Bubonic Plague
- Most common form of the Black Death
- Characterized by the appearance of buboes (swollen lymph nodes) in the groin, neck, and armpits, which oozed black pus and bled
- Other symptoms included high fever, headaches, painful joints, nausea, vomiting, and general discomfort
Pneumonic Plague
- Second most common form
- Symptoms: Fever, cough, and blood-tinged sputum
- As disease progressed, lungs liquefied, sputum became free-flowing and bright red
Septicemic Plague
- Least common but most deadly form
- Symptoms: High fever, purple/black skin patches
- Blood's inability to perform critical functions like bringing oxygen to body and clotting
Origins and Spread (Speculated Beliefs)
- Chinese Trading: Plague likely originated in China or Central Asia, spreading to Kaffa (Black Sea) via trade routes, then to Italy, before spreading across the Mediterranean and Europe
- Tatars Offensive Tactics: Tatars (Mongols), during a siege of Kaffa, may have hurled plague-ridden corpses over city walls, initiating an outbreak
- Divine Punishment: Some viewed the plague as divine punishment for human sins
How the Plague Spread (Before)
- Poor sanitation and waste management
- Limited hygiene practices (bathing, personal cleanliness)
- Sleeping on unclean materials (hay, sheep's wool)
How the Plague Spread (After)
- Lack of understanding of the cause of the disease
- Lack of protection while treating infected and the dead
Transmission of Bubonic Plague
- Fleas carried the bacteria, feeding on rats (rodents)
- Fleas biting humans transmitted
- Bacteria multiplied within the flea
- Rat to human transmission also likely
Effects of Black Death in Europe
- Sharp population decline
- Weakened government
- Economic downturn
- End of feudal serfdom
- Abandonment of cities, villages, monasteries, and houses
Changes in Art
- Emergence of macabre art, depicted skeletons and social gathering with skeletons
- Artists abandoned earlier Christian-centric themes, influenced by widespread death
- Paintings reflected the sadness and pervasive death
Efforts To Stop the Plague (Diagnosis)
- Quarantine (isolation)
- Health measures
- Plague doctors attempted surgery
- Seeking help from religious institutions
Plague Doctors
- Duties were often limited; verifying plague infection
- Risked their lives, so often rewarded financially
- Often volunteers, as qualified doctors had usually already fled
- Attire included beak-like masks filled with herbs meant to purify the air, long coats, and eyepieces
Death Toll
- Difficult to accurately measure due to lost records and hasty burials.
- Estimated that 25-50 million people died out of an estimated 75 million European population
Did You Know?
- Girls were sometimes abandoned during the plague because family names could only be passed down through male children.
Nursery Rhyme Link
- "Ring Around the Rosie"—Potential interpretations: "rosies" refers to possible rash or skin diseases; "pocket full of posies" may have been an aromatic remedy , used to stop the smell of dead bodies or by doctors for protection; "ashes" refers to dying bodies; "we all fall down" refers to general demise.
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Description
Test your knowledge of the Black Death, a devastating pandemic that affected Europe and Asia between 1347 and 1351. Explore key terms, categories, and symptoms associated with the bubonic plague, as well as the bacteria responsible for this historical catastrophe.
