Laura Anderson
Ravaging the land of Europe and Asia from 1346 to 1353, the Bubonic Plague claimed the lives of millions, with estimated numbers ranging from 75 million to over 200 million. Wiping out around ⅓ of Europe, the Black Death is by far one of the most fatal pandemic in all of history. So how did the people of the Middle Ages deal with this horrifying plague? In the past few centuries, advances in medicine have surged. We have gone from leeches and bloodletting to antibiotics and vaccines - even our stance on hospital hygiene has changed! So how did a community as vile as the Middle Ages withstand the oncoming storm that was The Black Death? Scientists and historians alike have studied the Bubonic Plague. It is now known to be caused by a type of bacteria, called Yersinia Pestis. This bacterium is spread by its vector, a flea, which is most commonly found on rodents like rats. Being directly bitten by the flea, or handling an animal infected with the bacteria can result in you contracting the disease. Whilst we now know that the flea was the cause of this wildfire, for many years rats had been the scapegoat of this event, though the people of the Middle ages had several more interesting ideas. Many believed that the Black Death was a punishment from God, or an aftermath of planets moving. Others attempted a more logical approach, convinced that the water wells had been poisoned or that strangers to the towns were bringing it with them. Some even went as far to blame the pandemic on pointed shoes! But how did these miniature fleas spread this bacterium all across Asia & Europe? The Black Death has been traced all the way back to China in the 1330s, though it wouldn’t begin its rampage till the late 40s. During a battle of biological warfare, where Mongolian soldiers marched upon the Port of Caffa, it was reported that corpses infested with the plague were catapulted over the walls. Italian Merchants visiting the port are believed to have come in contact with the bacteria here, before making their march back towards Italy. This was where the discord began. These merchants would have wandered many common routes, coming in contact with travellers all across Europe, who would then go on to return to their home countries. In June 1348, the plague had reached England, and by the end of the year, it had spread all across the southern coasts. During 1349, the Black Death made its way north, and soon Wales, Northern England and Ireland had all fallen victim to the beastly bacterium. Scotland, who had up to this point faced sparse cases, believed that the English had been punished by God. They seized their chance to invade the north, and unsurprisingly returned home with wounded soldiers and an army full of plague-bearers. Italy, Spain, Austria, Hungary, France and Germany, as well as parts of Northern Africa, also faced their own battles with the bubonic plague. Fortunately, after a reign of terror, the plague began to subside during the 1350s, though it would make a daunting return between 1361 and 1364, as well as appearing another 5 times before 1405. These plagues mainly killed children, who had no resistance to the bacteria. So what magical cures did the medieval doctors use to put an end to this misery? The first step was diagnosing the gruesome plague. Symptoms included a fever, headache, fatigue, coughing blood, swelling in the armpits and groin, and finally, buboes - the iconic symptom which gave the plague its name. Buboes are enlarged lymph nodes with pus-filled boils; these hideous lumps often bursted, which despite being revolting, was often a sign that the victim was recovering. In the outbreak of 1361 and 1364, doctors had begun to realise that bursting these lumps aided the recovery of their patients, but their predecessors of the 1340s and 50s had more peculiar methods of recovery. Many believed that smells and fumes could drive the plague away. Victims would cover their house with herbs, or sit close to a burning fire - some even went into the sewers! Plague doctors were known for carrying flowers in their masks to protect them from their infected patients. Due to the fact that not many doctors fell victim to the Black Death, people believed that this was the cure, though it would come to light that their long coats were in fact their shield, protecting them from the nasty flea bites! People attempted to treat their buboes in a variety of ways, such as rubbing onions, chicken bottoms, chopped up pigeons or even snakes on them! Others tried to expel the plague from their body, drinking vinegar, crushed minerals, arsenic and mercury. There were those who punished themselves by whipping, also referred to as self-flagellation, believing that this pandemic was a punishment from God. During these times, it was thought that those infected by the Black Death would go to hell - as for the children, many believed they had been misbehaving. A few tried to chase the source of the plague away. Village cats and dogs were slaughtered and burned. Some towns isolated themselves, and didn’t trust strangers who may bear the plague. Communication between towns was cut off, and those who stayed in contact took precautions; coins were bathed in vinegar and people distanced themselves from one another. Despite these attempts, it did not put an end to this bacteria’s tyranny. Those who had died were dragged out into the streets and left to rot, or thrown away into a plague pit, allowing more and more fleas and rats to become infected by this ghastly disease. Hygiene was considerably low, and no one suspected the small fleas that were feasting on their blood. So for several years, the Black Death swept through Europe, with no sign of stopping - until it did. So, how did the Black Death end? Unfortunately there is no happy ending. Whilst today we have antibiotics to combat this bacteria, the Plague Doctors never came up with a miracle cure. Instead the pandemic stopped purely down to nature. With most of the population dead, and those who had survived with a built resistance, the bacteria had nowhere to go. As a result, Yersinia Pestis returned back to its fleas and began feeding once more on the black rats, allowing other pathogens to take their steps towards the history book of infamous pandemics.
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