The Black Death
The Black Death was undoubtedly one of the most devastating diseases
that occurred during the middle ages. The Black Death, also known as
the Bubonic Plague, was a world-wide epidemic that caused the death of
more than 20 million people throughout Europe (Velenzdas). The people
of this time period were clueless as to the cause of the plague, but
were well aware of the tell-tale symptoms that accompanied infection.
There were many "cures" for the outbreaks, however it is known that
only a small percentage proved successful. Although the Black Death is
deemed by many to be the most devastating pandemic in history, some
consider it to have ultimately led to the Renaissance by starting a
revolution in the arts and sciences (Cantor 22-23).
The Bubonic Plague is caused by the Yersina Pestis bacterium, which
commonly infected the rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis, which also served
as its host (Velenzdas). Medieval Europe was a time of widespread
uncleanliness. Garbage was dumped onto the streets, water sources were
often polluted, all of which contributed to an overall unhealthy
environment. In the countryside, farmers often lived in dwellings that
also housed their livestock. Because of this, fleas were found nearly
everywhere in medieval Europe, infecting those they came into contact
with. The arrival of the Black Death completely shocked the entire
population of Europe. They attributed its cause to God's Will, because
of a simple lack of understanding of the role of fleas and hygiene in
the spread of the disease.
There were three stages of the Black Death. The first stage included
symptoms which were often flu-like in ...
... middle of paper ...
...es. The Plague
killed off entire family lines, and resulted in the loss of many great
and important people. However, the end of the Black Death signaled a
new beginning that seemingly may have paved the way towards an
"intellectual revolution" (Cantor 25). Despite many evident details
that the Black Death was beneficial to man kind, it is still
undeniably one of the deadliest and most destructive epidemics in
history.
Works Cited
Bishop, Rebecca. "The History of the Bubonic Plague." 2 Dec. 2003. 12
December 2004.
.
Cantor, Norman. "In The Wake of the Plague." New York: The Free Press,
2001.
Velenzdas, Demetres. "CBRNE-Plague." E-Medicine. 15 Jan. 2003. 12
December 2004.
.
The Black Death was undoubtedly one of the most devastating diseases
that occurred during the middle ages. The Black Death, also known as
the Bubonic Plague, was a world-wide epidemic that caused the death of
more than 20 million people throughout Europe (Velenzdas). The people
of this time period were clueless as to the cause of the plague, but
were well aware of the tell-tale symptoms that accompanied infection.
There were many "cures" for the outbreaks, however it is known that
only a small percentage proved successful. Although the Black Death is
deemed by many to be the most devastating pandemic in history, some
consider it to have ultimately led to the Renaissance by starting a
revolution in the arts and sciences (Cantor 22-23).
The Bubonic Plague is caused by the Yersina Pestis bacterium, which
commonly infected the rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis, which also served
as its host (Velenzdas). Medieval Europe was a time of widespread
uncleanliness. Garbage was dumped onto the streets, water sources were
often polluted, all of which contributed to an overall unhealthy
environment. In the countryside, farmers often lived in dwellings that
also housed their livestock. Because of this, fleas were found nearly
everywhere in medieval Europe, infecting those they came into contact
with. The arrival of the Black Death completely shocked the entire
population of Europe. They attributed its cause to God's Will, because
of a simple lack of understanding of the role of fleas and hygiene in
the spread of the disease.
There were three stages of the Black Death. The first stage included
symptoms which were often flu-like in ...
... middle of paper ...
...es. The Plague
killed off entire family lines, and resulted in the loss of many great
and important people. However, the end of the Black Death signaled a
new beginning that seemingly may have paved the way towards an
"intellectual revolution" (Cantor 25). Despite many evident details
that the Black Death was beneficial to man kind, it is still
undeniably one of the deadliest and most destructive epidemics in
history.
Works Cited
Bishop, Rebecca. "The History of the Bubonic Plague." 2 Dec. 2003. 12
December 2004.
.
Cantor, Norman. "In The Wake of the Plague." New York: The Free Press,
2001.
Velenzdas, Demetres. "CBRNE-Plague." E-Medicine. 15 Jan. 2003. 12
December 2004.
.