How the Plague Started and Spread

Have you ever been overseas and brought back a souvenir? In 1347, some sailors visiting Asia from Italy returned with something no body wanted...the plague. It got to Europe using many different means of transport. It spread in bloodsucking fleas that lived on rats. But animals weren't the only thing spreading it. People helped spread the plague in biological warfare. They would shoot infected bodies, using catapults, into enemy villages. The disease would start to kill their population until the attackers could take control.

Some people brought the plague upon theirselves by being greedy, like theives. They would steel from abandon houses after the owners had passed away. The thives being the sneeky criminals they are would take this chance to steel food, not knowing it contained the plague. It was the last thing they will ever steel.

Symptoms of the Black Death

The black death had three different kins of plague in it. First was the "Bubonic plague." This is the most known plague out of them all and in my opinion the most deadly. It infected it's victims lymphatic system which caused painful swelling of the lymph nodes to the size of eggs, black areas on skin, fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, and a horrible smell. Death normally took two to seven days to die. 

Next was the "Pneumonic plague" which infected people's respiratory systems. The infection caused coughing, coughing up blood, chest pains, shortness of breath, and high fever. Usualy death happend within two days. Last was the "Septicemic plague." This plague infected the circulatory system and caused many symptoms of the Bubonic plague. It also caused seizures and a tendancy to bleed. This process normaly took less than a day for it's victims to die.

How was it Treated?

People tried many times to stop the spread of the plague but all of their attempts failed. They thought God had sent the plague to punish them for their sins. They thought that if the punished theirselves then God would end the plague, saving the people. So they paraded through the streets of towns whipping themselves as a self punishment.Unknowingly the people were actualy spreading the plagues from town to town. some people fled the towns and went to the country trying to escape their chance of death.

People tried many ways to at least keep themsevles from getting the plague. Some people left to the country but others wanted to keep from getting it while staying in their home. Because of that, many doctors had to keep healthy to try treating people. The wore leather maskes to keep the plague spreading fleas and other insects from biteing them. The masks were also shaped like bird beaks to scare insects away with a fear of being eatin.

Effects/Aftermath of the black death

As soon as the plague hit there wasnt much demand for items so prices dropped, but after the plague really took affect prices raised because of fewer workers. Fewer workers meant less land could farmed, production of goods went down, and human services were more valuable. Sense human services were more valuable people took the chance to make some money quick. The rich complained about the social classes changing around. they tried to end it by pointing out laws like the "Statute of Laborers." The laws stopped social classes from changing. The poor still obtained money though, either from inheritance or social advancement.

The last big outbreak of the plague was in 1351. The end of the Black Death doesn't mean the end of the plague. Plagues still occurs randomly throughout time and in different locations. This uncured and dangerous sickness will probably always haunt our planet as one of the most deadly diseases mankind has ever seen.

What was the coolest thing you learned from my blog?

What was your favorite thing about my blog?

How could I improve my blog for next time?