The Black Death 1347-1351

The Culprits

The Famine of 1315-1317 By 1300 Europeans were farming almost all the land they could cultivate. Climate changes in Europe produced three years of crop failures between 1315-17 One consequence of starvation & poverty was susceptibility to disease.

The Bubonic Plague The Bubonic Plague began as a small disease that turned into an epidemic A widespread infectious disease Due to famine, lack of sanitation throughout Europe, infected travelers, and poor knowledge of medicine, the plague spread throughout Europe quickly Travelers would catch the disease and spread it to other countries

1347: the Plague reaches Constantinople

The Symptoms Bulbous Septicemic form Large bumps that appeared on the groin and armpits Septicemic form Almost 100% mortality rate

Lancing a buboe

Jani Beg Mongolian Khan who used infected corpses as ammunition for catapults on raids of European cities

Disease Cycle Flea drinks the rats blood that carries the bacteria Bacteria multiples in the fleas gut Flea’s gut clogged with bacteria Flea bites the human and regurgitates bacteria into the human blood stream Human is infected with the disease

Medieval Art and the Plague

Art had an obsession with death

Attempts to stop the plague Doctors wore bird-like masks and trench coats to protect themselves from the plague Used “leeching” to remove toxins from the bloodstream Massacre of Jews

Flagellanti

Apocalypse

The Church The Church was unable to explain why so many people were dying Europeans believed the world was coming to an end Others looks for ways to end the plague

Mortality Rate 35-70% of Europe’s population was killed due to the Bubonic Plague 25,000,000 dead