Objective: To make the students aware of

the devastating diseases of the past and their possible

reoccurrence in the future.

Crisis in Crisis in EuropeEurope

By 1300 Europeans were farming almost all the land they could cultivate.

A population crisis developed. Climate changes in Europe produced

three years of crop failures between 1315-17 because of excessive rain.

As many as 15% of the peasants in some English villages died.

One consequence ofstarvation & povertywas susceptibility todisease.

Perceived Causes•Vapors from a volcano•Jews poisoned the Gentiles

•Blood imbalances•God’s wrath

The Real The Real CulpritsCulprits

The Disease The Disease CycleCycleFlea drinks rat blood

that carries the bacteria.

Flea drinks rat blood that carries the

bacteria.

Flea’s gut cloggedwith bacteria.

Flea’s gut cloggedwith bacteria.

Bacteriamultiply inflea’s gut.

Bacteriamultiply inflea’s gut.

Flea bites human and regurgitates blood into human wound.

Flea bites human and regurgitates blood into human wound.

Human is infected!Human is infected!

1347: Plague 1347: Plague Reaches Europe!Reaches Europe!

Symptoms of the Plague

• Painful swellings in armpits, neck, and groin called buboes (boo-bows).

• High fever

• Blood vessels burst under skin turning it black.

• Untreated mortality rate- 75%

The The SymptomsSymptoms

Bulbous

Septicemia Form:

almost 100% mortality rate.

Medieval Art & the Medieval Art & the PlaguePlague

An obsession with death.

Medieval Art & the Medieval Art & the PlaguePlague

Bring out your dead!

Medieval Art & the Medieval Art & the PlaguePlague

Attempts to Stop the Attempts to Stop the PlaguePlague

A Doctor’s Robe

“Leeching”

Attempts to Stop the Attempts to Stop the PlaguePlague

Flagellant:Self-inflicted “penance” for our

sins!

Attempts to Stop the Attempts to Stop the PlaguePlaguePogroms against the

Jews

“Jew” hat

“Golden Circle” obligatory badge

Methods of treatment•Bathing in human urine•Placing dead animals in the home

•Amputation

Tools Used for

Amputation

Lancing a BuboeLancing a Buboe

Many priests, who cared for the sick, caught the disease from

their patients and died.

Effects of the Plague• Government halted • Loss of labor force• Manufacturing suffered • Loss of family members• Trade was disrupted • Religious beliefs altered• Prices increased

A Little Macabre A Little Macabre DittyDitty“A sickly season,” the

merchant said,“The town I left was filled with dead,and everywhere these queer red fliescrawled upon the corpses’ eyes,eating them away.”

“Fair make you sick,” the merchant said,“They crawled upon the wine and bread.Pale priests with oil and books,bulging eyes and crazy looks,dropping like the flies.”

The Mortality

Rate35% - 70%

25,000,000 dead !!!

What were the

political,economic,and social

effectsof the Black

Death??

Could it Happen Again?The conditions present in the

14th century provided an ideal situation for the development of this devastating epidemic.

Discuss, what environmental, social, scientific, and sanitary changes have been made in our present society that would limit the possibility of a modern outbreak of the plague ?

ANSWER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!• Control of rat

population• Use of

insecticides• Sanitary disposal

of garbage and waste

• Improved personal hygiene

• Use of antibiotics• Improvements in the

medical profession• Increased knowledge

of communicable disease

• Quarantine procedures on imports of food and animals