Black Plague

By: Jacob Wilkins

Causes / Transmission

• The black plague (also called bubonic plague or black death) was caused by fleas infected with the bacteria Yersinia pestis.

• The flea would then bite dogs, rats, humans, and any other animal it came in contact with.

• Since fleas were a part of everyday life back in the 1300’s, no one thought anything of them.

Symptoms

• There were many symptoms that could be found early such as: headache, fever, chills, vomiting, and nausea.

• These symptoms progressively worsen as the plague develop into more severe symptoms like: severe migraines, coughing up blood, respiratory failure, rapid heart rate, and ultimately death.

Results

• The Black Plague killed 25 million people in Europe.

• At the time, this was 1/3 of Europe’s population.

• Masks were worn to protect the doctors who got close to the patients. This is where we got the mask part of Halloween.

Effects on Hierarchy

• This plague had no mercy and did not pick and choose who it killed.

• It killed many descendants of the royal family.• The hierarchy was mixed up during the black

plague because the only people who ruled when it was all over were the people who survived.

• The people who survived were not always the most fit to rule and could have been of a lower class.

Treatment

• Treatment was very difficult and usually resulted in death.

• In the 1300’s, the doctors decided it would be best to drain the contaminated blood, so they would slice open their skin and let them bleed into blood bowls; however, this also made them die faster.

Doctors

• The doctors were forced to wear special clothing when treating patients with the plague.

• They would wear a face mask that looked like a bird with two slits for the eyes, a long robe that went to the bottom of their ankles, and a hat so that none of their body would be exposed to the plague.

Resources

• http://historymedren.about.com/od/theblackdeath/a/death_defined.htm

• http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2328936/black_plague_symptoms_causes_treatment.html?cat=70

• http://warrensburg.k12.mo.us/ew/bubonic/mike.html

• http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_could_you_treat_the_bubonic_plague_in_medieval_times

• http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=black+plague+doctos&view=detail&id=9609FBE3B73C861FED9E5C0F64790B781C555CCB&first=0&FORM=IDFRIR