Bubonic Plague: The Black Death
Jordan Malone
Accelerated English II
3 May 2013
The Black Death As a pandemic that was able to spread from country to country and kill millions in the process, the Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, was able to leave a mark on almost all of the Eastern hemisphere. Additionally and ironically, the impact the Black Death had on many countries was both negative and positive. While killing millions and destroying economies, the Bubonic plague also helped improved health care and sanitation. By far, it is easy to see that the Black Death was no simple disease and its effects would carry on for some time. “Black Death is a mistranslation of the Latin word “atra” meaning both terrible and black” (Beneditow 42). Its meaning is …show more content…
The disease originated from fleas and small animals such as rats. “It was able to spread considerable distances by rodents on ships” (Benedictow 43). It was caused by a bacterium called Yersinia Pestis which tends to circulate among wild rodents (Beneditow 43). In the early 1300s, unusual weather patterns caused the plague bacteria to infect humans (Chester 90). Unlike many other illnesses, the Black Death took some time to infect humans but took very little time to kill them. “The infection takes three to five days to incubate in people before they fall ill and another three to five days before the victims die.” (43) And among those who died from the plague, there was a larger death rate of women and children than there was of men (49). Additionally, the weakness caused by chronic hunger among the poor made people more vulnerable to illness (McGill …show more content…
Its huge impacts allowed for cities and towns to learn from it and grow. It is because of the Bubonic Plague that health care and sanitation grew. Hospitals sprung up everywhere in the west during the middle ages and physicians and surgeons started to provide medicine for the poor (McKitterick 213). Towns and city councils began sanitary legislation that improved the standards of living and created new jobs in sanitation (213). In order to prevent the spread of the smell of human and animal waste, citizens were required to keep the streets clean (McKitterick 213). There were also many unseen positive effects the plague as well. The incalculable inheritance unlocked by high mortality led to the contracting of lavish building and works of art. New themes in religious sensibility also emerged
Accelerated English II
3 May 2013
The Black Death As a pandemic that was able to spread from country to country and kill millions in the process, the Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, was able to leave a mark on almost all of the Eastern hemisphere. Additionally and ironically, the impact the Black Death had on many countries was both negative and positive. While killing millions and destroying economies, the Bubonic plague also helped improved health care and sanitation. By far, it is easy to see that the Black Death was no simple disease and its effects would carry on for some time. “Black Death is a mistranslation of the Latin word “atra” meaning both terrible and black” (Beneditow 42). Its meaning is …show more content…
The disease originated from fleas and small animals such as rats. “It was able to spread considerable distances by rodents on ships” (Benedictow 43). It was caused by a bacterium called Yersinia Pestis which tends to circulate among wild rodents (Beneditow 43). In the early 1300s, unusual weather patterns caused the plague bacteria to infect humans (Chester 90). Unlike many other illnesses, the Black Death took some time to infect humans but took very little time to kill them. “The infection takes three to five days to incubate in people before they fall ill and another three to five days before the victims die.” (43) And among those who died from the plague, there was a larger death rate of women and children than there was of men (49). Additionally, the weakness caused by chronic hunger among the poor made people more vulnerable to illness (McGill …show more content…
Its huge impacts allowed for cities and towns to learn from it and grow. It is because of the Bubonic Plague that health care and sanitation grew. Hospitals sprung up everywhere in the west during the middle ages and physicians and surgeons started to provide medicine for the poor (McKitterick 213). Towns and city councils began sanitary legislation that improved the standards of living and created new jobs in sanitation (213). In order to prevent the spread of the smell of human and animal waste, citizens were required to keep the streets clean (McKitterick 213). There were also many unseen positive effects the plague as well. The incalculable inheritance unlocked by high mortality led to the contracting of lavish building and works of art. New themes in religious sensibility also emerged