Black Death Facts
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- The Black Death Killed 25% to 60% of Europe’s Population
- The Black Death was not the First Plague Epidemic
- The Population at the Time was Prone to Disease Spread
The Black Death occurred after a period of rapid population growth in Europe. At that time, there had been two years of harsh winters with torrential rains. The food source was limited, while the population was still growing fast. This led to a food shortage that drove people and animals from rural areas and into the cities. Crowded living conditions, coupled with a lack of hygiene, allowed diseases to spread extremely quickly.
- The Black Death was Believed to Be Caused By ‘Pockets of Bad Air’
Another common misconception was that Jewish people were responsible for deliberately spreading the plague, even though they were just as likely to be infected as anyone else. Some Jews confessed to poisoning water supplies after being tortured, and, tragically, many were executed as a result.
- Patients Were Often Discouraged from Bathing during the Plague
For people who contracted the plague, it is said that bathing also opened up their pores and let in more bad air, which was believed to make the disease worse. Hence, bathing was also discouraged for plague patients.
- The Black Death Set the Foundation for the Renaissance
With a drastic decrease in population and endless depression and fear everywhere, many strict rules were no longer enforced. The need to find a cure for the plague also prompted people to engage in research and studies using scientific methods. Many experts believed that this helped change people’s thinking and started the momentum toward innovation and scientific research, leading to the Renaissance.
- The Plague Still Exists in the Modern World
- The Black Death Set Europe Back 150 Years
- The Plague Virus Now Is Less Fatal than It Used to Be
- The Plague Took Free Rides on Merchant Ships
In many cases, the fleas carrying plague bacteria could even spread to the destination without affecting the crew on the ship. The infected fleas sometimes stayed in the cargo or on the rats. The bacteria were then distributed throughout the city without anyone realizing.
- A Village Voluntarily Went into a Shutdown to Stop the Disease Spreading
In 1665, residents of the village of Eyam in Derbyshire, England got infected with the plague. The villagers decided to close down their village, knowing that it would be a huge sacrifice. By the time the plague died down, the death toll within the village was 256 people. However, none of the neighboring villages caught the plague, thanks to the heroic sacrifice of the Eyam residents.
- Even without Modern Antibiotics, the Plague Was Not a Certain Death Sentence
Scientists studied the remains of some Black Death victims and found that many of them already suffered from malnutrition or other diseases. While many healthy individuals died after contracting the plague, evidence shows that if a person was previously healthy, he or she would have a better chance of survival.
- Nostradamus Was One of the First Plague Doctors
As many Black Death facts point out, doctors in the Middle Ages were quite clueless when it came to treating plague victims. Many treatments were even counterproductive and helped spread the disease instead of stopping it. Nostradamus, however, was one of the first doctors to get it right.
Nostradamus was immune to the disease and started working as a plague doctor when he was 15. He originally thought he couldn’t do too much to help his patients, merely alleviating their symptoms without any cure to stop the plague. However, his strong emphasis on cleanliness was actually an effective treatment. He also kept the surroundings clean and made sure infected corpses were properly disposed of. This helped stop the spread of the disease.
- The Name Black Death Wasn’t Used at the Time
The name Black Death was derived from a poem written by Simon de Covinus, in which the disease was called atra mors. This means the terrible death or the black death. In the sixteenth century, this phrase was translated into English as the Black Death, and the name started to be used to differentiate it from the Great Plague of 1665.
- Cats and Rats Were Infected but Dogs Were Fine
Dogs, however, could be bitten by infected fleas and never get sick. The reason for this is that they had a natural resistance to the plague virus. They could be exposed to the disease without being affected.
- William Shakespeare Witnessed the Terrifying Consequences of the Black Death
When he was working in London theaters as an actor, another epidemic swept through the town and effectively closed all theatres. Shakespeare, like many other actors at the time, also had to go on tours to other provinces, risking coming into contact with a lot of people who might have had the disease.
- A Treatment from the Black Death Era Is Still Popular Today
- The Term Quarantine Was Coined during the Black Death Era
- The Black Death Was Used as Early Germ Warfare
- Dung and Urine were Among Treatments Prescribed by Doctors
Many doctors believed that bad smells could drive out the plague. Therefore, some of the treatments for the plague involved the use of dung and urine. Back then, people were desperate enough to try anything. However, in modern times, we know for sure that such treatments were more likely to help the spread of the disease than to help the patient recover.
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