In the middle of the fourteenth century, disaster struck Europe. A ravaging pestilence spread at an alarming rate through city and countryside alike. Beginning as a tiny spark in Genoa, the wildfire that was the Black Death enveloped nearly all of Europe, from Italy to Britain, in a span of about three years (C. Kohn, 25). Up to 38 million lives were claimed in less than a decade, distinguishing the Black Death one of the worst pandemics in human history (C. Kohn, 25). The disease behind this catastrophe has seldom been rivaled by another. But what was this disease? Many scientists and historical scholars believe this disaster to be the work of the bubonic plague, a deadly infectious disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis or Y. pestis (Nardo, 13). However, evidence has surfaced in the past fifty years to suggest that the Black Death was not, or at least not only, the bubonic plague. In truth, this epidemic was not the bubonic plague or any other single disease; it was two or more illnesses working in tandem. Much of the evidence lies in the symptoms between the bubonic plague and other plagues that could have been present during this time. The bubonic plague is a disease of three stages. After an incubation of two to eight days after infection, a period usually accompanied by a high fever and flu-like symptoms (Nardo, 15), the second stage begins. This stage, by which the Black Death is supposedly named, is marked by the appearance of buboes (black welts caused by internal bleeding) in and around the lymph nodes, particularly the groin or armpits (C. Kohn, 25). Diarrhea, bloody vomit, and joint pains also play their part in this stage. The final and usually fatal stage takes place between the third and fourth week after i... ... middle of paper ... ...to be taken with a grain of salt. New evidence will surface, new theories will arise and old theories will be debunked; however, the truth behind the Black Death may never be completely uncovered. Notwithstanding, historians and scientists alike will never cease to seek the truth behind this fourteenth century catastrophe. Works Cited Nardo, Don. The Black Death. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc. 1999. Jay Bollet, Alfred. Plagues & Poxes. New York: Demos Medical Publishing, Inc. 2004 C. Kohn, George. Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence. New York: Facts On File, Inc. Cantor, Norman. In the Wake of the Plague. New York: Harper Perennial. 2002. Cross Giblin, James. When Plague Strikes: the Black Death, Smallpox, and AIDS. New York: HarperTrophy. 1995. Knighton, Henry. The Black Death (1348) < http://www.themediadrome.com/blackdeath.htm > 25 March 2008.
Kohn, George Childs. "Black Death." Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence: From Ancient Times to the Present, Third Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
Mary Lowth, “Plagues, pestilence and pandemics: Deadly diseases and humanity,” Practice Nurse, 16, (2012): 42-46
In short, he answers the basic questions that are often asked in concern to the Black Death. These topics include the transmission of the plague, the different varieties of the plague, and the different theories over the course of history that have tried to explain the origins of the Black Death. Gottfried successfully supports the thesis with his main arguments being the death toll that resulted from the Black Death, the development of modern medicine, and the effects and transformation the Black death had on Europe. These arguments support the thesis of the Black Death being the greatest biological and environmental event in European history. Many people tend to misunderstand the word, ‘great’ as being synonymous with the idea of something that is positive. The circumstances surrounding the Black Death are very much negative and in this context, ‘great’ means impactful, poignant, and staggering. Gottfried does an excellent job of textually illustrating the greatness of the Black Death while still maintaining an unbiased, onlookers point of view to give the reader a chance to make his/her own analysis of the cons and benefits of the Black Death. To analyze, the following paragraphs will go over Gottfried’s writing and the use of his
Arrizabalaga, Jon. "Plague and Epidemics." The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages. Vol. 3. New York: Oxford UP, 2010. 1314-317. Print.
In the 1300’s, England was struck with a plague called the Bubonic Plague, better known as the “Black Death.” Historians believe this disease arrived by ship at a seaport in modern day Ukraine (Byrne 1). Fleas living on the back of rats were the main cause of spreading. Because of the poor living conditions, rats were very common in towns, making it simple for fleas to bite the human, giving them the disease. Symptoms were easily spotted; the victim would have lumps on his or her groin and armpits, which would then turn to black spots on the arms and thighs (Trueman 1). Most who suffered form this epidemic did not live past three days (Trueman 1). Because the vermin spread this disease so rapidly, it would eventually affect most of Europe. The source of the Black Death was unknown at the time; therefore physicians could not stop the spread or treat the infected (Byrne 1). Many people thought that it was God’s punishment, so to appease Him, they publicly whipped themselves (Byrne 1). Before declining, the Black Death killed around forty percent of the European populations, which is about 25 million victims, making it one of the most widely known epidemics. Once the Bubonic Plague died out, it only had two...
No other epidemic reaches the level of the Black Death which took place from 1348 to 1350. The epidemic, better regarded as a pandemic, shook Europe, Asia, and North Africa; therefore it deems as the one of the most devastating events in world history. In The Black Death: The Great Mortality of 1348-1350, John Aberth, compiles primary sources in order to examine the origins and outcomes of this deadly disease. The author, a history professor and associate academic dean at Vermont’s Castleton State College, specializes in medieval history and the Black Death. He wrote the book in order to provide multiple perspectives of the plague’s impact. Primarily, pathogens started the whole phenomenon; however, geological, economic, and social conditions
The Black Death was one of the deadliest pandemic that hit Europe in history. The Black Death first emerged in the shores of Italy in the spring of 1348 (Gottfried,1). The plague came from several Italian merchant ships which were returning to Messina. Several sailors on board were dying of an unknown disease and a few days after arriving in Messina, several residents within and outside of Messina were dying as well (Poland 1). The Black Death was as deadly as it was because it was not limited by gender, age, or species. The Black Death was also very deadly because it could attack in three different forms: the bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic plague.
Furthermore, the medical experts who provide professional insight into the symptoms and transmission of the plague subtly contribute to the overall non-discriminatory sense of Aberth’s book. Although not explicitl...
Roos, Anna Marie E. "Plague, Early History." Infectious Diseases: In Context. Ed. Brenda Wilmoth Lerner and K. Lee Lerner. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2008. 627-634. In Context Series. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
Around 1347-1348 the most well-known epidemic struck the European world. The bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death or the Black Plague, rained sickness over millions; for most people, death was the only end to the sickness. The Black Death is known as one of the most depressing occurrences in history. It attacked the three most important aspects of a person’s well-being, their mental, emotional and physical health. While the plague impacted early society, authors, Jean de Venette and Giovanni Boccaccio, described the epidemic in their own words. Modern author, Charles L. Mee Jr., describes the plague with the scientific knowledge he has living in today’s society. These three authors wrote about the bubonic plague with their own voice’s and reasoning’s but many of the accounts they mention are similar to one another. Jean de Venette, Giovanni Boccaccio and Charles L. Mee Jr. explain the symptoms, the causes and the way people acted because of the black plague.
The Bubonic Plague, or more commonly known as ‘The Black Death’ or ‘The Black Plague,’ was one of the most devastating and deadliest pandemics that humans have ever witnessed in the history of mankind. The disease spanned two continents in just a few years, marking every country between Western Europe all the way to China. During the reign of the plague, which is estimated to be the years between 1347-1352, it is estimated that “20 million people in Europe–almost one-third of the continent’s population” was killed off due to the plague. The Black Plague would change the course of European history since the plague knew no boundaries and inflicted its wrath upon the rich and the poor alike. As a result, not only did the plague have a devastating demographic impact which encountered a massive social disruption, but also, an economic and religious impact as well.
In 1346, the second and most devastating case of Bubonic plague erupted. (Janis 1) This specific case of plague originated in Kaffa, a cathedral town on the Crimean Coast and spread to China then quickly westward to India. Soon traders from India sailed to Europe and infected almost the entire continent. (Ziegler 121) This case was the most famous because of the large number of deaths affiliated with its outbreak. An estimated twenty five million people, one third of Europe’s population, perished during the plague’s four years of existence. (Janis 1) Government, trade, and commerce in Europe almost came to a halt. The Black Death caused the depopulation of about 1,000 villages in England. (Janis 2) In one case, in Alexandria, Egypt, the first two weeks of the plague 100-200 people died each day. Soon after, as many as 2,000 people died each day and the number increased each week. During this time, the Roman Catholic Church lost some influence on its people.
Cantor, Norman F. In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World It Made. New York:
The Black Death (also called the "plague" or the "pestilence", the bacteria that causes it is Yersinia Pestis) was a devastating pandemic causing the death of over one-third of Europe's population in its major wave of 1348-1349. Yersinia Pestis had two major strains: the first, the Bubonic form, was carried by fleas on rodents and caused swelling of the lymph nodes, or "buboes", and lesions under the skin, with a fifty-percent mortality rate; the second, the pneumonic form, was airborne after the bacteria had mutated and caused fluids to build up in the lungs and other areas, causing suffocation and a seventy-percent mortality rate.
Today the world is plagued with a similar deadly disease. The AIDS epidemic continues to be incurable. In an essay written by David Herlihy, entitled 'Bubonic Plague: Historical Epidemiology and the Medical Problems,' the historic bubonic plague is compared with