Medieval Medicine- Plague

Plague

• Plague= a contagious disease
• Epidemic= a sudden widespread appearance of an infectious disease
• Bubonic plague= a form of plague whose symptoms include fever, delirium and the formation of large buboes
• Pneumonic plague= a rapidly progressive and frequently fatal form of the plague that attacks the lungs and can spread through the air

Causes of the Black Death

• Invisible fumes spreading across the country
• Bad smells (miasma)
• Four Humours were out of balance
• God was angry
• not enough people going to church
• people behaving badly
• Jews had poisoned the wells and springs
• An earthquake in China in 1347
• Planet alignment

Spread of the Plague

• poor nourishment caused weakened immunity
• crowded, over-populated areas
• lack of knowledge about illness
• poor disposal of bodies
• poor cleanliness and enforcement
• bad personal hygiene

Practice Question

• Did medieval public health help or hinder the spread of the Black Death?