The Black Death
Great pestilence Medieval people called the fourteenth century catastrophe either the "Great Pestilence," the "Great Death," or the "Great Plague." Contemporary writers then referred to the event as the "Great Mortality"; the term "Black Death" was introduced for the first time in 1833.
FYI: The Plague Most Deadly Period: 1347-1351 Revenge on Wickedness/End of World 1/3-1/2 of European Population Killed (312 Great Stadiums @ 80,000 people each)
The Culprit Fleas are bloodsucking parasites Mouths form 2 functions: spitting into bite; sucking blood
transmission
Three forms Bubonic Mortality Rate: 30-75%
Bubonic
Bubonic: symptoms Headaches, painful aching joints, nausea and vomiting, and disorientation…large black boils Of those who contracted the bubonic plague, 4 out of 5 died within eight days.
Three Forms 2. Pneumonic Mortality Rate: 90-95%
pneumonic: symptoms Fever, cough and blood-tinged mucus. As the disease progressed, mucus became free flowing and bright red.
Three Forms 3. Septicemic mortality rate: 100% Symptoms included fever, cough and blood-tinged sputum. As the disease progressed, sputum became free flowing and bright red.
Septicemic: symptoms High fevers and purple skin patches
The path
The victims… “…ate lunch with their friend and dinner with their ancestors in paradise."
The victims… “It was dark before I could get home, and so land at Churchyard stairs, where to my great trouble I met a dead corps of the plague in the narrow ally just bringing down a little pair of stairs." -S. Pepys
Can it be stopped? Government medical workers Fear of plague How spread?
Can it be stopped? Prayer Death to Sinners Closed Villages Starvation Burning
Nostradamus Predicted Hitler Saddam Hussein Lost entire family Dedicated to cure
Economy Skills worth more Peasants & artisans higher wages Serfs stop planting Animals roaming
The church Suffered Lost authority & prestige Death of followers No cures/no answers
The church
The church
Dance of death
Dance of death
It’s the rats Not until 1906 Traded disease Exists today (mortality: 5-15%)
The Black Death