The Black Death Black Death, epidemic of plague which ravaged Europe in the mid-14th
century. Various forms of plague were known in the civilized world
since ancient times. Greek and Roman historians described outbreaks of
an epidemic disease which were sudden and deadly: at Constantinople in
the 6th century AD, for example, as much as half the population may
have been killed. The outbreak which reached Europe from China in
1347, and spread rapidly and with disastrous results to most
countries, has been given the name the Black Death, though
contemporaries did not use this term.
Epidemiology of the Black Death
The plague bacillus affects wild rodents and their parasites,
especially the black rat and its flea, Xenopsylla cheopis. A diseased
rat, carrying the bacillae, may infect the flea which feeds on its
blood, and in certain conditions the flea can carry the disease to
human beings. It is thought by modern historians that this was the
most common cause of the spread of the infection.
There are two main forms of plague, of varying intensity. The more
important is bubonic plague, which affects the lymph glands and leads
to swellings (boils or "buboes") in the throat, underarm or, most
commonly, in the groin. This type was very familiar to Europeans in
the late Middle Ages and Early Modern period, and for those affected
mortality was anywhere up to 75 per cent (even greater in some
regions): most died within a week of catching the disease. It
flourished in the summer months, usually reaching a peak in September.
In London and other big Eu...
... middle of paper ...
...hereafter escaped
major epidemics, although Marseille in 1720 was an exception. It did
remain, however, in the Middle East and Asia, and precautions were
taken to stop it spreading. The frontier between the Austro-Hungarian
Empire and the Ottoman Empire was to remain a cordon sanitaire,
actively manned whenever there was an outbreak of the disease further
east. The cause of the decline in the incidence of plague remains
mysterious. It may have been associated with the brown rat superseding
the black, and proving a lesser source of infected fleas; the
improvement of housing and living conditions; or the development of
immunity in humans, after centuries of infection. Medical advances, so
important in the elimination of other fatal diseases in the modern
world, seem in the case of plague to have had little to do with it.
The Black Death, also known as the Black Plague, or the Bubonic Plague killed one third of the population of Europe during its reign in the 13th and 14th centuries. The arrival of this plague set the scene for years of strife and heroism. Leaving the social and
It has now been scientifically proven that the Black Plague had first originated from arid plains of centra...
Some things are not as they seem. “Ring Around the Rosie” seems like a pleasant children’s nursery rhyme, but many believe it is actually a grisly song about the Black Death in Europe. The Black Death was a serial outbreak of the plague during the 1300s. During the Black Death, more than 20 million Europeans died. One-third of the population of the British Isles died from the plague. Moreover, one-third of the population of France died in the first year alone, and 50% of the people in France’s major cities died. Catastrophic death rates like these were common across all of Europe. However, just like the poem “Ring Around the Rosie”, the true effects of the Black Death differed from what many people believed. Though tragic, the Black Death caused several positive societal changes. Specifically, the Black Death helped society by contributing to the economic empowerment of peasants and disempowerment of nobility that led to the decline of manorialism, as well as by encouraging the development of new medical and scientific techniques by proving old methods and beliefs false.
One of the largest epidemic events in history, the Bubonic Plague had a devastating effect on European society. It is believed to have begun in China, and it reached European soil in 1347, when it struck Constantinople (Document 1). It was carried by infected fleas that spread the disease between humans and rats. A symptom of the plague was the development of large, dark swellings called “buboes” on the victim’s lymph nodes. By the time the plague left, Europe’s population had been reduced by almost half. The devastation as a result of the plague may seem shocking, but there were several important factors that contributed to its deadliness.
Plagues and Peoples. By William H. McNeill. (New York: Anchor Books: A division of Random House, Inc., 1976 and Preface 1998. Pp. 7 + 365. Acknowledgements, preface, map, appendix, notes, index.)
The Web. The Web. 24 Mar. 2011. The. http://liboc.tctc.edu:2058/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CH1420001374&v=2.1&u=tricotec_main&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w> The "Plague".
The Black Death had profound effects on Medieval Europe. Although most people did not realize it at the time, the Black Death had not only marked the end of one age but it also denoted the beginning of a new one, namely the Renaissance.
unable to farm their lands because they were sick. This plague did not attack only the humans but also
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.
The Black Death is still known today as one of the worst disasters to ever sweep across Europe. Its effects were felt in almost every inch of Europe. The plague affected every aspect of Europe from its economy to its population. Most noticeably it knocked out about one-third of Europe’s entire population. It was absolutely devastating, some would consider it to be the worst outbreak ever and the few that do not, have no idea what it did to Europe.
We can see this as we compare the writings of Weyer, (document 4) from the fifteenth century, who feared the Plague, to the writings of Bertrand, (document 16) from the eighteenth as he declared the Plague was cause because of religious superstition. This shift in belief may be caused by the "Age of Enlightenment" that caused people to think more irrationality, and to heavily believe in
The Black Death in the Middle Ages was it what the people and even scientist of that time thought that it was “God’s will intervening” or was it just circumstance that combined to make it the perfect breeding ground for the disease to spread? Even though the people of that time didn’t know the disease as the Black Death they did know that there was a sickness that was going around and by the end of it about 50 percent of the population would be killed from it (Rhodes 2013). The Black Death did shatter the population but it also lead to many benefits for those that survived such as improved environmental, health, economic and social changes.
The Black Plague, perhaps one of the worst epidemics in history, swept its evil across Europe in the middle of the 14th century, killing an estimated 20 million people. This major population shift, along with other disasters occurring at the time, such as famine and an already existing economic recession, plunged Europe into a dark period of complete turmoil. Anarchy, psychological breakdowns, and the dissipation of church power were some of the results. As time passed, however, society managed to find new ground and began its long path of recovery. The plague, as catastrophic as it was to medieval Europe, had just as many positive effects that came with this recovery as it did negative effects prior. An end to feudalism, increased wages and innovation, the idea of separation of church and state, and an attention to hygiene and medicine are only some of the positive things that came after the plague. It could also be argued that the plague had a significant impact on the start of the Renaissance.
While alleged sex addictions have existed for many years, they have only recently been accepted as valid excuses for sexual deviancy. Attitudes toward sex addiction in the past offer a stark contrast to how it is viewed today, as the constantly medicalizing society insists on putting everything under the technical microscope. Sex addiction is commonly associated with a person’s inability to control his sexual behavior, implying an abnormally high sex drive and obsession with sex which have negative effects on his personal life (MedicineNet 2007, 1). Rather than breaking down the science behind the disorder, a customary practice in today’s medicalized society, older attitudes towards sex addiction placed it under the same light as alcoholism, where a lack of control and unwillin...
The Black Death discusses the causes and results of the plague that devastated medieval Europe. It focuses on the many effects it had on the culture of medieval Europe and the possibility that it expedited cultural change. I found that Robert S. Gottfried had two main theses in the book. He argued that rodent and insect life cycles, as well as the changing of weather systems affect plague. He claimed that the devastation plague causes is partly due to its perpetual recurrences. Plague ravaged Europe in cycles, devastated the people when they were recuperating. As can be later discovered in the book, the cycles of plague consumed the European population. A second thesis, which he described in greater detail, was that the plagues expedited the process of cultural change. The plagues killed a large percentage of each generation, leaving room for change. The Black Death covers the affects that numerous plagues had on the culture. The cycle of the plagues struck each generation. After a plague ravaged Europe from 599-699, plague killed in 608, 618, 628, 640, 654, 684-686, 694-700, 718, and 740-750. In the early stages of the above series, intervals are apparent. These intervals demonstrate the cycles of the rodent and insect life. Robert S. Gottfried also argues, rightfully so, that plague may have hastened cultural change. Along with plagues came the need for a cure. Plague destroyed the existing medical systems, and was replaced by a modern heir. Previous to the plague, scientists based their knowledge on early scientists such as Hippocrates and Galen. Scientists knew little about what they were doing. The medical community was divided into five parts. These divisions were physicians, surgeons, barber-...