How Did The Spread Of The Plague In 14th Century Europe
The Spread of the Black Plague in 14th Century Europe
During the mid-1300’s the world was engulfed with the fear of catching and inevitably dying from a disease that began like flu but ended with repertory failure, fever and eventually death. The bubonic plague or better known as the black plague is responsible for killing nearly one third of Europe’s population during the 14th century. Many believed that the plague was punishment from god for the world’s sins, and that it was a sign of the end of days. Others, had some sense of knowledge that the plague was in the air, or their environment, leaving us to ask the question; how can we stop the spread of the virus if it is in fact in the air we breathe or the water we drink?
Scientist today know that several factors played in the epidemic causing spread of the plague. The most influential reason being that the people of the time did not have any understanding of how germs and bacteria spread. For example, when the plague began to spread groups known as the Flagellants began to travel through Europe reenacting Jesus’s Crucifixion. During their reenactments, people would take the blood of the Flagellants blood and rub their blood in their eyes. Not realizing that a person who is not showing any …show more content…
With no garbage disposal system, sewage system, or practices of personal hygiene the streets of Europe the plague was able to multiply and spread rapidly. Many thought that the practice of bathing was sinful; we now know that personal hygiene plays a large role in the process of transmitting germs from one person to another. Flea infested rats found the dirty conditions of the city to be perfect living conditions providing them with plenty of water, food, and shelter. The fleas on the rats would then bite the humans and as a result, they were unsuspectingly infected with the
During the mid-1300’s the world was engulfed with the fear of catching and inevitably dying from a disease that began like flu but ended with repertory failure, fever and eventually death. The bubonic plague or better known as the black plague is responsible for killing nearly one third of Europe’s population during the 14th century. Many believed that the plague was punishment from god for the world’s sins, and that it was a sign of the end of days. Others, had some sense of knowledge that the plague was in the air, or their environment, leaving us to ask the question; how can we stop the spread of the virus if it is in fact in the air we breathe or the water we drink?
Scientist today know that several factors played in the epidemic causing spread of the plague. The most influential reason being that the people of the time did not have any understanding of how germs and bacteria spread. For example, when the plague began to spread groups known as the Flagellants began to travel through Europe reenacting Jesus’s Crucifixion. During their reenactments, people would take the blood of the Flagellants blood and rub their blood in their eyes. Not realizing that a person who is not showing any …show more content…
With no garbage disposal system, sewage system, or practices of personal hygiene the streets of Europe the plague was able to multiply and spread rapidly. Many thought that the practice of bathing was sinful; we now know that personal hygiene plays a large role in the process of transmitting germs from one person to another. Flea infested rats found the dirty conditions of the city to be perfect living conditions providing them with plenty of water, food, and shelter. The fleas on the rats would then bite the humans and as a result, they were unsuspectingly infected with the