Late and End Medieval Period - Black Death PDF

Black Death 1347 - 1351 Unlocking keywords: Bubo - enlarged lymphatic gland. Yersinia Pestis - a zoonotic bacteria. Septicemic - Disease caused by the spread of bacteria and their toxins in the bloodstream. Sputum - also known as phlegm, is a thick type of mucus made in your lungs. Gang...

Black Death 1347 - 1351 Unlocking keywords: Bubo - enlarged lymphatic gland. Yersinia Pestis - a zoonotic bacteria. Septicemic - Disease caused by the spread of bacteria and their toxins in the bloodstream. Sputum - also known as phlegm, is a thick type of mucus made in your lungs. Gangrene - a dangerous and potentially deadly health problem. It happens when the blood flow to an area of tissue is cut off. This causes the tissue to break down and die. Gangrene often turns the affected skin a greenish-black color. Black Death Also called as a “bubonic plague”. was a devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s. caused by the bacteria “Yersinia Pestis”, a zoonotic bacteria. What is Black Death? 3 categories of black death: Bubonic Plague - infection in the lymph nodes or buboes. Pneumonic Plague - infection in the lungs. Septicemic Plague - infection in the blood. (the most deadly of the three) Bubonic Plague The most commonly seen form of the Black Death. The classic sign was the appearance of buboes in the groin, the neck, and armpits, which oozed black pus and bled. It had symptoms including a high fever, headaches, painful aching joints, nausea, and vomiting, and a general feeling of discomfort. Pneumonic Plague The second most common seen form of Black death. Symptoms including fever, cough, and blood-tinged sputum. As the diseased progressed, your lungs basically start to liquefy and the sputum became free flowing and bright red. Septicemic Plague The least common of the three forms of Black death but the deadly among the three forms. Symptoms were high fever and purple/black skin patches. Your blood would simply not to do its job of bringing oxygen to your body and also would not clot. The Origins of Black Death - Speculated Belief Chinese Trading Tatars offensive tactics Divine Punishment Educated Guess - Chinese Trading Usually thought to have started in China or Central Asia, the plague had reached the trade city Kaffa in the Black Sea by 1346. From there, black rats carried it onto merchant ships bound for Italy. It then spread throughout the Mediterranean and ravaged Europe.  Educated Guess - Tatars Tactics In 1346, the Tatars (Mongols|) laid siege to Kaffa. While surrounding the city, the Tatars came down with plague. The Tatars decided and started to load their catapults with dead bodies which some are infected of some sort of virus and began flinging them over the city walls. An outbreak of plague in the city soon followed. It has been speculated that this operation may have been responsible for Black Death. Educated Guess - Divine Punishment Divine punishment was a commonly held belief that the Black Death was a result of God's anger towards humanity for its sins. This idea was rooted in religious and moral beliefs, and was often used to explain natural disasters and other forms of suffering. How Did It Spread? (Before) Dirty places No proper waste management and poor sanitation Bathing and personal hygiene were not typical in the Middle Ages People tended to sleep on beds of hay or sheep’s wool How Did It Spread? (After) No understanding to the cause of the disease. No protection while dealing those infected and dead bodies. How Did It Spread? Signs and Symptoms include: Gangrene Heaving breathing Chills Continuous vomiting General ill feeling Aching limbs High Fever Coughing Muscle Cramps Extreme pain Seizures Painful enlarged lymph gland Skin color turn to a pink hue Efforts to Stop the Plague - Diagnosis Quarantine (Isolation) Health measures The plague doctors tried surgery. Asked help to the monks and the church Plague Doctors A plague doctor’s duties were often limited visiting victims to verify whether they have been afflicted or not. Often gave heavy financial compensation, given the risk of death. Most plague doctors were essentially volunteers, as qualified doctors had (usually) already fled.  Plague Doctors A wide-brimmed black hat worn close to the head. Identifying a person as a doctor and used as partial shielding from infection. A primitive gas mask in the shape of a bird’s beak. Filled with strongly aromatic herbs and spices to overpower the “miasmas or bad air” which was also thought to carry the plague. The mask also included red glass eyepieces, which were thought to make the wearer impervious to evil. A long, black overcoat. To minimize skin exposure, coated with wax to protect against respiratory droplet contamination. Death Toll It is difficult to accurately estimate the number of people killed by the Black Death. Many times, the church and monks kept records of the census and populations, but as the sick poured into their monasteries, monks themselves were infected and their records were lost or destroyed. At best, it can be estimated that between ⅓ and ⅔ of European population were decimated by the disease (25 - 50 million people out of 75 million). In fact, the bodies piled up so fast, these people were unable to provide proper Christian burials. Instead, they threw in pits and burned them. This adds to the confusion of how many people died. Effects of Black Death in Europe Population decreased abruptly. Crippled the government. Economy decline. Serfdom ended. Most of the large cities, villages, monasteries, convents, and houses were left abandoned. Changes in Art New type of painting emerged. They were paintings containing people socializing with skeletons. Artist abandoned old ways of painting things idolized by the Christian religion. They were so depressed by the death that surrounded them that they began to paint pictures of sad and dead people. The Church Many people could not comprehend why God was punishing them. They sought answers that the Church could not provide. Many people turned their back on the Church. As a result of death in the Church, written language was almost lost and whole churches were left abandoned. Did You know? You were unlucky, if you are a female during the Black Death. Girls would be left to die because parents would favor male children that could carry their family name. Did You know? Children during the Black Death suffered greatly. A common nursery rhyme is the proof. “Ring Around A Rosie” Ring around the rosies Pocket full of posies Ashes! Ashes! We all fall down!