Black Death / Bubonic Plague

2 Pages 453 Words

In the late Middle Ages, the growth of population was so great that it caused somewhat of a famine. In the early 14th century, crop problems created an even bigger famine and caused great suffering. Overpopulation and famine created starvation, bad health, and opened up the chance for the bubonic plague, which struck in 1348. After its first appearances, the bubonic plague spread through Europe like wildfire and created havoc.
The bubonic plague, or “Black Death”, was most likely caused by seaborne rats that followed trade routes across Eurasia. Common symptoms were fever and swelling in the groin. Sicily was one of the first cities to see the plague, from where it would then travel into Venice, Genoa, and Pisa. Furthermore, the plague spread to the coastlines around France and Spain causing even more damage. An estimated loss of population was approximately 40% loss in the early fifteenth century. The plague which was transmitted by rat or human-borne fleas would reach the human lungs and then be spread through coughing, sneezing, or wheezing. The virulent effects of the disease caused it to spread quickly, not to mention that rodents that enjoyed free rides on the trading boats could also spread the disease. The disease spread so quickly because no one understood what caused it.
At the time, people had no exact clue as to what caused or how to cure it. Medieval people suggested that it was passed by staring at an infected person or from poisonous reptiles falling from the sky. Other crazy suggestions included that the Jews poisoned the water or the planets were in the wrong positions. The medieval people had absolutely no clue as to what really was going on. To them, it may have seemed that people would just get it one day and be gone no too far after. As a result, life was affected quite a bit by the disease.
The Black Death killed off approximately one-third of the population in Europe. This meant fewer laborers which in...