[[File:Spread-Of-The-Black-Death.gif|thumb|312x312px|Spread of the Black Death]
What Is The Black Death? edit
The Black Death was one of the biggest pandemics. It was caused by a bacterial infection called Yersinia Pestis. It started in the year 1346 - 1353 and in total killed an estimate of 75 to 200 million.
The History on the Black Death In Europe edit
The plague disease was carried by fleas which were on rats. After the plague had arrived, it spread rapidly over the island. The first appearance of the plague in Europe was at Messina (a Sicilian port) in 1347. It arrived on trading ships which came from the Black Sea where they had to dock at Messina. The sailors aboard the ships were dead and some who were alive were very ill. Some were affected by fever and some were raving from pain. Strangely, the sailors were covered in black boils that oozed blood and pus. As soon as the citizens of Messina discovered the sickness, they expelled the sailors from the port. But, it was too late. Plague had already begun to spread through the city, making villagers flee and this caused the plague to spread even more to the countryside. The outbreak in Pisa had started the spread to Italy. Once it reached Italy, the plague spread to Europe, infecting Portugal, France and England by June 1348. After that they came to Germany. The fourteenth century had devastating moments because of the plague. In sieges, infected corpses were thrown into the city with catapults.Entire villages were deserted when all its inhabitants died. The economy became non-existent and chaos was present. In the beginning it was thought that the Jewish community were the cause of this new disease so, many civilians began anti-Jewish riots.
Symptoms edit
The Black Death was divided into 3 main types: Bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic. The symptoms vary from which part of the body was involved and the type of plague. The bubonic plague is the most common and it primarily swells the lymph nodes (buboes). Lymph nodes are responsible for the production of white blood cells, which help defend the body against microorganisms, harmful foreign particles and debris. Buboes can be located in the armpits, groin or neck. It’s about the size of a chicken egg and warm to the touch. Other symptoms include: fever, chills, headache, fatigue or unidentified discomfort, black boils sprouting blood and pus and muscle aches. The pneumonic plague is considered the most dangerous type of plague as it can spread from person to person. It's symptoms include: fever, headache, weakness, and a rapidly developing pneumonia with shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, and sometimes bloody or watery mucus. The pneumonic plague may cause respiratory failures. The septicemic plague occurs when plague bacteria multiplies in your bloodstream. Symptoms include: fever and chills, extreme weakness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, bleeding from your mouth, nose, rectum, or under your skin, lower blood pressure and gangrene, commonly, in toes, nose and fingers.
Plague Doctors edit
[[File:Plague doctor drawing.jpg|thumb|245x245px|The equipment worn by plague doctors]] Plague doctors were workers that kept count of dead bodies. Most of the plague doctors were not qualified physicians, in fact you needed close to nothing to become a plague doctor, the only thing they needed was to go into plagued areas and tally the dead for this risk they were paid handsomely and considered extremely valuable. While their job description seemed simple most of them partook in the ethically dubious practice of offering cures for the disease based on wild theories even despite their lack of credentials they were still trusted. They charged outrageous fees because they knew they could prey on people's grief and suffering to cure themselves. Some were actually trying to find a cure, so that's when they started taking some infected people as test subjects.Plague doctors themselves had a short lifespan since they were assigned to go into affected areas from the black death. Plague doctors would become unintentional plague spreaders bringing contaminated materials wherever they went.later in the 17th century Charles de L’orme was a famous doctor who made a protective suit consisted of a heavy, waxed fabric overcoat, a mask with glass eye openings and a beak shaped nose, typically stuffed with herbs, straw, and spices. Plague doctors would also commonly carry a cane to examine and direct patients without the need to make direct contact with the patient. Charles came up with a theory saying that when the plague doctors come in contact with dead bodies the plague would jump to a new host, but when wearing a waxed leather, the leather wouldn't catch the plague and the herbs in the beak was said to protect them from bad air according to the miasma theory. The suit protected them however the doctors did not cover their ankles where the fleas would bite spreading the disease. Today plague doctors are a symbol of terror and pain.
References edit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDz0OrRZOZ0 http://www.history.com/topics/black-death
https://www.thoughtco.com/spread-of-the-black-death-through-europe-4123214