The Black Death was one of the worst outbreaks in the world. The Disease spread fast within several years, starting in Asia and ending in Europe with just a little left to cover. With the Black Plague killing millions of lives, and scaring billions, it drove tens of people to find a cure.
Throughout the years scientist have discovered that there are three different types of the Black Plague: Bubonic Plague, Septicemic Plague, and Pneumonic Plague (Stoppler 1). Each individual type has a different symptom. The “Bubonic Plague symptoms and signs include painful and enlarged lymph nodes, chills, headache, fever, and weakness”(Stoppler 1). “Septicemic Plague symptoms and signs include fever, weakness, abdominal pain, chills, and shock”(Stoppler 1). This type is more severe then the Bubonic because it can cause death from the bleeding of tissue and leading it to turn black (1). The “Pneumonic Plague symptoms and signs include characteristic Pneumonia symptoms like chest pain, shortness or breath, cough, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.”(Stoppler 1). Like its symptoms it is also spread differently. With the “Bubonic and Septicemic Plague are only rarely spread from person to person; transmission occurs when fleas feed on infected rodents and then bite people”(Stoppler 4). The Pneumonic Plague is spread differently from the two. “transmission of Pneumonic Plague to another person typically requires direct and close (within 6 feet) contact with an infected person.” (Stoppler 4). Infected people can spread this disease through airborne droplets(4). These different types of Plague are diagnosed by identifying the Yersinia pests organisms in your blood or tissue from an infected patient(4).
The start of the Black Plague originates back to Asia in the early 1300s. “It can be traced back to the Gobi Desert of Mongolia in the 1320s”(The Black Death 3). During this timeframe trade expanded, strengthened, and ventured (3). But it wasn't the only thing that was. “Along with the Chinese goods on board, the traders carried bacterium Yersinia pestis in the rats on board as well as in some of the sailors themselves”(The Black Death 3). This was the start of the spread of the Black Plague. In the fall of 1347, Europe sighted its first sign of the Black Plague (The Black Plague 1). “This was a widespread epidemic of the Bubonic Plague that passed from Asia and through Europe in the mid fourteenth century”(1). “ The Black Death arrived in Europe by sea in October 1347 when 12 Genoese trading ships docked”(Black Death 1). The gatherers on the dock were surprised with the sailors aboard the ship were dead or ill (1). After this the Black Plague spread throughout Europe killing millions. “ Over the next five years, the mysterious Black Death would kill more than 20 million people in Europe”(Black Death 1). With the people being terrified that they would be next to die, they are seeing “unpleasant symptoms–fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, terrible aches and pains–and then, in short order, death”(Black Death 2). All together “the Europe’s Black Plague brought death to 25 million people, by some estimates a third to a half of its population, and is one of the most famous episodes in history”(The Black Plague in Asia).
When the disease started spreading out of control with thousands of people dying, people did not know what to do.
“When someone lay sick in a house, no-one would come near. Even dear friends, priest and doctors would hide away and turn their backs on the people in need. Brothers would abandon brothers, and sometimes even parents their children. Everyone avoided entirely the sick and everything belonging to them”(Weebly 2)
These people did what they had to do to not catch the disease, even it was abandoning the ones that they loved. Another reaction the people had, was turning to religion. “once people has realized there was no cure for this disease, they turned to their faith in God and the Church”(Weebly 2). When the people’s prayers were not being answered and their family members were dying, they decided to create a group called the flagellants. “The Flagellants were people who marched from town to town, whipping their backs and hurting themselves to make God pity on them”(Weebly 2). The point of this was trying to make God help them and answer their prayers. As many people tried to seek help from God, the other people thought God was trying to punish them.” Many viewed the plague as a punishment for God for the wickedness and immortality of the people…as many sincerely believed that the black death was a sign that the end of the world was coming”(DailyHistory 7). Even some Christians viewed the plague as a “divine wrath and punishment for sin”(Quizlet 27).
The Black Plague didn't just change the population number in Europe, it also changed its social, political, and economic stability. Europe had changed socially by making people turn to a religion. During this time religion was a big deal. Many people thought that they could turn to a church for their problems. But when they people went to the church to find answers, they could not give them any (ThemedievalEra 7). “ The Hierarchy of the church became very unstable due to the causalities that the Black Death had brought. Because so many popes and high-ranking people died” (ThemedievalEra 8). With the plague knocking out one-third of Europes population even the priest and popes, it made the church unstable. With the government also being unstable it made political changes in Europe… “As more government heads succumbed to the plague, stability went to shambles because the government was helpless and had no strategy to deal with the plague's results”(Leaf Group 5). Not even the government knew what to do with the mysterious spread of the Black Plague. The government was also unstable due to the “government officials being either dead, infected/soon to be dead, or locked up in their homes with their families trying not to get infected” (ThemedievalEra 6). The Economic changes in Europe were involved through the trade routes and on the workers wages. The plague disrupted trade by spreading on the routes. It also put manufacturing on hold by killing artisans and merchants (Khan Academy 10). With the rats being on the routes and spreading the disease to the people it slowed down the trade. Also, if there was no people to trade with on the routes, goods were not profitable. Because of goods not being able to sell on the routes, back home it make the values of the livestock less. The effect of this was the cost of laboring went up. “ However, when the Black Death wiped out a considerable portion of the peasant population, labor costs went up, inflation crept in, and much of the wealthy land-owning class was depleted”(Leaf Group 1). But when the cost of laboring went up the wealthy class went to pass a law to prevent the increase of labor cost. In June 1349 the Ordinance of Laborers was passed that limited the peasants earning, and making them work for how much they made five or six years ago. If the peasants demanded higher wages they were sent to prison (Leaf Group 2).
Between the medieval and modern day cures, there are big differences. Back in the day there was no antibiotics, people either based the healing off of natural treatments or religious beliefs. “Vinegar and water treatment . If a person gets the disease, they must be put to bed. They should be washed with vinegar and rose water”(HistoryLearningSite 1). This is an example of a natural treatment that they used in medieval times. A religion that they would use to help cure the disease is witchcraft. They would “ Place a live hen next to the swelling to draw out the pestilence from the body. To aid recovery you should drink a glass of your own urine twice a day” (HistoryLearningsite 7). As technology and medicine advanced, scientists have created antibiotics for the Black Plague.”Antibiotics such as streptomycin, gentamicin, doxycycline, or ciprofloxacin are used to treat plague. Oxygen, intravenous fluids, and respiratory support usually are also needed.” (NYtimes 7). Since antibiotics have been created, there has only been a few cases of the Black Plague in the United States. In the United States about ten to twenty people catch the disease each year. To contain it from spreading we use sewage systems and public health organizations (Modern day Bubonic Plague and Black death 1). A recent case about the Black Plague is “the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday that a person in that state had the bubonic plague”(CNN 1). Remedies have progressed over the years helping the disease stayed contained.
All in all, the Black Plague devastated all parts of the world, creating panic, and a change in Europe and the world. The impact the Plague had forced all the social, political, and economic changes in the world. Cures had to be developed, which created an advance in science. Hence, helping America keep it contained.