An Essay On The Bubonic Plague

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The Bubonic Plague, otherwise known as the Black Death was a raging disease. Most people thought of it as the physical Grim Reaper of their town or community. The disease lasted about six years, 1347 to 1352. The Bubonic Plague was a travesty that has traveled throughout Europe and has raged and decimated both large and small towns, putting Europe through a lot. The disease spread through a bacteria called Yersinia Pestis. The bacteria itself can clog small blood vessels, causing them to burst. The waiting period for the plague is about one to three days, just to show symptoms, soon dead within forty-eight hours. The disease was a major depopulator. Just in Europe did it kill one-third of their population, meanwhile completely destroying two-thirds of China’s population, and decimating many Muslin towns. The disease flared and raged so quickly there wasn’t enough time to bury all the dead, so they mainly waited until the end and held a large memorial service. The disease itself was ripping apart the very fabric of society. The virus attacks the lymph nodes and lungs. The buboes formed from the virus are usually formed in the groin or armpit depending on the closest lymph node. The plague is highly contagious, spread by speaking, coughing, and sneezing. There are two types of plague, the septimic and the pneumonic. The septimic plague is transmitted through direct fleabite. With there being no incubation period the infection infects the bloodstream directly and immediately. In reaction the victim’s circulatory system collapses, they have a high internal bleeding rate, and are dead within the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours. The pneumonic plague is transmitted through any form of infection. There is one to three days inc... ... middle of paper ... ...ther. Unlike other travesties that help to make the community stronger, this just pulled communities apart. To make matters worse, over the course of just six years, seventy-five million people have died. There were about fifteen million in Southwest Asia. Even more about thirty-five million dead in China. Finally, there were about twenty-five million dead in Western Europe. The Middle Ages became so depopulated that the economy changed. In the economy laborers demanded more pay, meanwhile changing their work status. All over was widespread poverty because of the merchants raising their prices heavily. In conclusion the virus that had raged its way through Europe was so deadly, virulent and lethal that victims were reported to go to bed healthy and died in their sleep. This disease ripped society apart. This plague has killed many and ruined the lives of others.

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