The Black Death

How did the Plague spread all over Europe?

1. Flea drinks rat blood that carries bacteria 2. Bacteria multiples in fleas gut 3. Flea gut becomes clogged with bacteria 4. Flea bites human and regurgitates blood into open wound 5. Human is infected

Epidemic

•A widespread outbreak of a disease

Diease

•Any impairment of normal body function affecting all or part of an organism caused by infection, stress, etc, producing characteristic symptoms; illness or sickness in general

Death Toll in Cities

•Because of how densely populated cities were, the disease spread more rapidly in them.

Percent of death

•Between 45% and 75% of Florence died in a single year. One-third died in the first six months. •In Venice, which kept excellent records, 60% died over the course of 18 months: five hundred to six hundred a day at the height. •The death rate at Avignon was fifty percent and was even higher among the clergy. One-third of the cardinals died. Clement VI had to consecrate the Rhone River so corpses could be sunk in it, for there was neither time nor room to bury them.

There were three forms of the Black Death

•Bubonic Form •Pneumonic Form •Septicemic Form

What was the Black Death?

•It was a disease spread throughout Europe due to unsanitary conditions. •The odds of surviving the Black Death were less than 50%.

The Bubonic Plague

•Most common form •30-75 % chance of dying •Most common symptom was enlarged lymph nodes •Victims subject to headaches, nausea, aching joints, high fever & vomiting. •Curable today with simple antibiotics

The Septicemic Plague

•Most rare form. •Close to 100% chance of dying. •Symptoms - high fever and skin that turned deep shades of purple due to DIC (Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation) •The Black Death got its name from DIC

The Plague comes from Asia

•Originated in Central Asia in 1340's. •Transported by nomadic Mongolians. •Merchant ship from Venice, It. picked it up in the Crimean Peninsula. •Brought it back to Italy & from there it spread to France, Spain, England & the rest of Europe.

Death Toll

•Population records are a bit inaccurate for this time. It is estimated that between 20% and 60% of Europe's population was wiped out due to the Black Death. At least 20 million Europeans died and some estimates are around 50 million people. Worldwide it is believed that about 75 million people died

The Pneumonic Plague

•Second most common. •90 - 95% chance of dying. •Infected the lungs. •Most common symptom was slimy sputum (saliva mixed with mucus) mixed with blood which became free flowing as the disease progressed. •Curable today in 90% of cases with antibiotics.

Effects of the Black Death

•Social order breaks down. Fear and paranoia make people afraid of each other. •Because of so many deaths in the church written language was almost lost. •It took 400 years for the population to reach pre-Plague numbers. •Demand for farm workers increased giving peasants some power and higher wages.

Without science how was the Black Death explained?

•Some people felt that God had sent the plague to punish them for sins. •People like the man on the right called flagellants whipped themselves thinking this would make up for their sins and God would not give them the plague.

The Spread of the Black Death 1347 - 1352 ce

•The Black Death spread along trade routes over land and along rivers.

Blame it on the Jews

•There were many instances in Europe where the Plague was blamed on the Jews. •People accused them of spreading the Plague by infecting the drinking water. •In the city of Strasbourg, 200 Jews were burned to death for "spreading the Plague".

Did a flea really cause this disease?

•Yes and No. The Bubonic and Septicemic forms were transmitted through a flea bite. •The Pneumonic form of the plague was transmitted through droplets sprayed from the lungs and mouth from an infected person. Basically it was coughing.