the black death 1347-1350. how the plague arrived estimated to be some time during the summer of...
TRANSCRIPT
The Black Death
1347-1350
How the Plague Arrived
• Estimated to be some time during the summer of 1348 in Europe.
• By the fall it spread throughout the southwest of Europe.
• By 1349 it had reached England.• England was completely infected by 1350.• By the end of that year, nearly 2 ½ million
people were dead.– An estimated 1/3 of Europe's population or
25,000,000 people!
Where did the Black Death come from?
Symptoms of the Plague
What caused the Plague?
• The Oriental Rat Flea
How was the Plague Transmitted?
• Spread by fleas that lived on black rats.
• The fleas sucked the rat’s blood which was infected with the plague.
• When the rats died, the fleas moved onto humans.
Forms of the Plague: Bubonic
• The bubonic plague was the most commonly seen form of the Black Death.
• The mortality rate was 30-75%. • The symptoms were enlarged and inflamed
lymph nodes (around arm pits, neck and groin).
• Victims were subject to headaches, nausea, aching joints, fever of 101-105 degrees, vomiting, and a general feeling of illness.
• Symptoms took from 1-7 days to appear.
Forms of the Plague: Pneumonic
• The pneumonic plague was the second most commonly seen form of the Black Death.
• The mortality rate for the pneumonic plague was 90-95% (if treated today the mortality rate would be 5-10%).
• The pneumonic plague infected the lungs. • Symptoms included slimy sputum tinted
with blood. – Sputum is saliva mixed with mucus exerted from
the respiratory system.
• As the disease progressed, the sputum became free flowing and bright red.
• Symptoms took 1-7 days to appear.
Forms of the Plague: Septicemic
• The Septicemic plague was the most rare form of all.
• The mortality was close to 100% (even today there is no treatment).
• Symptoms were a high fever and skin turning deep shades of purple.
• The black death got its name from the deep purple, almost black discoloration.
• Victims usually died the same day symptoms appeared.
• In some cities, as many as 800 people died every day.
How did they cure it?
• Medieval people did not know that the germs caused the disease.
• They also did not know that it was spread by rats and fleas.
• They had a superstitions believe that their bodies must be poisoned.
Crazy Cure #1
• The swelling should be softened with figs and cooked onions.
• The onions were mixed with yeast and butter.
• Then they opened the swelling with a knife.
• Did it work?
Crazy Cure #2
• Take a live frog and put its belly on the plague sore.
• The frog would swell up and burst.
• Keep doing this until the frogs stop bursting.
• Some felt that a toad would work better then a frog.
• Did it work?