Download - The Black Death 1348
The Black Death 1348
Impact of the Plague in Medieval Medicine
Mr McDonald
The Plague Arrives
The Plague arrived in 1348 from Eastern Europe/Asia.
People became rapidly ill:TemperatureHeadaches and vomitingLumps (Buboes) on the groin and armpitsBruising followed by the Buboes bursting and
either death or survival.70% died
What caused it?
A disease carried on fleas on the rats of trading ships brought it to England.
There were tow types of plague – bubonic and pneumonic.
Pneumonic was spread not by fleas but by sneezing!
Causes
The effects of the plague were enormous. Many people saw it as a punishment by God. Others saw it caused by planets or by foul
air. Whatever reason they gave they knew it was
contagious but had no real clue was caused it.
Black Death
God and the Devil
Invisible fumes or poisons
Humours out of balance
Common sense – bad
air
Planets and Stars
Task
Complete tasks 2a and 2b from page 64 – your diagram needs to be in a new page to include information from the sources.
Cures
Different causes/treatments were used to combat the Plague.Bleeding and Purges of the body.Avoiding foul smelling areasFumigating areasCleaning up town areas – done by the Lord Mayor of
London.Flagellants – people punishing themselves for their
sins to avoid the plague.Killing Jews
What does this mean? The plague shows that there was still a following
of natural and supernatural approaches to medicine and the cause of disease.
The ideas that the disease was caused by foul air, and imbalanced humours show a belief in the natural approaches to medicine.
However the belief that the Plague was caused by God and the Planets showed that supernatural ideas were still held to be important.