The Black Death a.k.a. The PlagueThe Black Death a.k.a. The Plague

The disease struck and killed people with terrible speed. The Italian writer Boccaccio said its victims often "ate lunch with their friends and dinner with

their ancestors in paradise."

What should I write down while watching this power point?

• Your should write down titles and any information that is next to a bullet.

This is a bullet

WARNING!!!WARNING!!!Be prepared to see pictures of Be prepared to see pictures of

disease victims and other disease victims and other gross stuff.gross stuff.

DiseaseDisease• 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

This Indonesian man has a couple of diseases that caused these warts

to grow all over his body.

EpidemicEpidemic• A widespread outbreak of a

disease

In 1918 there was a severe, worldwide outbreak of the

flu. This photograph shows how people were cared for with so many being sick at

the same time.

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%.

People tried different things People tried different things to avoid getting the Plague, to avoid getting the Plague, such as wearing clothing such as wearing clothing they thought would protect they thought would protect them. What would you have them. What would you have done to avoid getting the done to avoid getting the plague?plague?

There were three forms of the Black Death

• Bubonic Form

• Pneumonic Form

• Septicemic Form

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

This inflamed lymph node was called a bubo and is from where

the term bubonic comes

How might people in Europe explain this inflammation during How might people in Europe explain this inflammation during the Middle Ages?the Middle Ages?

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.

This is a sample of sputum.

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

This is an example of DIC which caused dark shading of the skin giving rise to the name – Black

Death

•How did the Plague spread all over Europe?

(Copy the chart below)

What are some ways diseases are spread today?What are some ways diseases are spread today?

1.

4. 3

2.

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.

A Flea – transmits the disease

How did the Black Death Arrive in Europe?

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.

The Spread of the Black Death 1347 – 1352 ce

•The Black Death spread along trade

routes over land and along rivers.

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

Death Toll in Cities• Because of how densely

populated cities were, the disease spread more rapidly in them.

A portrayal of the arrival 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.

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.

A Flagellant

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”.

A wood cut carving of the burning of Jews .

Why do you think Europeans blamed the Black Death on Why do you think Europeans blamed the Black Death on Jews?Jews?

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.

This is a piece of artwork called Danse Macabre

   Ring a-round the rosy          Pocket full of posies

          Ashes, ashes!          We all fall down!

     Ring around the rosy: rosary

beads give you God's help. A pocket full of posies: used to stop the odor of rotting bodies which was at one

point thought to cause the plague, it was also used widely by doctors to

protect them from the infected plague patients. Ashes, ashes: the

church burned the dead when burying them became to laborious.

We all fall down: dead. Not only were the children effected physically, but

also mentally.

Did you know…

Kind of creepy huh?

The Black Death

Let’s Review – Number a Scrap Piece of Paper 1-10

1. What is the outbreak of a widespread disease called?

For numbers 2-4 list the 3 forms of the Black Death.

5. Which form was airborne?

6. What are the swollen lymph nodes called?

7. What animal carried the Black Death and what animal transmitted the Black

Death?

8. In which modern day country was the first European case of the BD?

9.Why were death rates so much higher in cities than out in the countryside?

10. How did the Black Death impact farm workers and laborers?

1. What is the outbreak of a widespread disease called?

Epidemic

For numbers 2-4 list the 3 forms.

Bubonic, Pneumonic, Septicemic

5. Which form was airborne?Pneumonic

6. What are the swollen lymph nodes called?

Buboes

7. What animal carried the Black Death and what animal transmitted the Black

Death?

Rat - Carrier Flea – Transmitter

8. In which modern day country was

the first European

case of the BD?

Italy

9.Why were death rates so much higher in cities

than out in the countryside?

It was they closeness in which people lived. Cities were densely populated

10. How did the Black Death impact farm

workers and laborers?

Because of the demand for workers

the power and wages of farm workers and laborers increased.