The Plague During The Middle Ages

The plague, or Black Death, as it became known, was a devastating disease that killed approximately 19-38 million people in the 1300's. At first, it was thought to have traveled from the Silk Road, but actually came from trade ships returning from China. At the height of the Middle Ages, the Black Death spread quickly across Europe and Asia. Researchers believe that the plague began first in China and was carried by fleas, which then infected rats. During the Middle Ages, rats were in large numbers and were common on trade ships and caravans bringing goods from China to other countries, like Italy, France, Germany, and England.

The Black Death affected millions of people. Once the plague broke out in China, one half of the population died. Rumors of a great plague had made their way to Italy even before the first "death ships" arrived carrying infected sailors. Once these ships docked, Italy turned them away, but it was too late. The disease began to spread throughout Italy and the rest of Europe. The plague was extremely contagious and no one was immune. Men, women, and children all were capable of catching the disease and many did. Even the animals, like cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens were not immune and many died from the plague. During the
time of the Middle Ages, not much was known about medicine and the spreading of diseases. The conditions of that time were unsanitary, and people didn't know about the benefits of keeping clean and washing their hands. This lack of knowledge served to spread the plague even faster.

The Black Death changed people's lives in a number of ways.
Panic grew throughout Europe and Asia. Superstitions arose as to how or why the plague was spreading. Some said it was God punishing people for their sins. Some thought that the disease was spread through water and that people should avoid going out at night because even the dew was dangerous. People designed Middle Age protective suits which covered their bodies from head to toe and had special compartments for herbs and spices thought to ward off the disease. Religious ornaments were also a part of these suits. Red ruby eyes were applied to the mask in the hope that they would receive a blessing from God. Priests also wore red ruby rings for the same
reason.

There were also physical changes due to the disease. An infected person would give off a horrid odor. They would have symptoms like fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, as well as, the disease's signature black puss-oozing whelps. The disease was so horrible that fear grew and many went insane from anxiety and fear of infection. The most devastating and putrid symptom was the flesh rotting.

Another change brought about by the Black Death was an economic change. All of the deaths actually caused the European economy to spiral downward. Because of the spread of the disease, trade fell and certain goods became scarce. Also, the wages for workers increased because of a huge shortage of workers, due to so many people dying. Because of the tremendous loss of life, less people bought food and the prices of food fell. The Feudal System was also weakened as a result of the plague. Landlords were paying more for work to be done and, at the same time, had to lower rents. The peasants began to make deals with the lords to pay rent instead of working. This did away with serfs.

In conclusion, the Black Death was a horrible, life-altering event. It killed millions of people, which, in turn, devastated the European economy. Superstitions developed and fear spread due to the horrible nature of the disease. Thankfully, today, we are far more advanced in the field of medicine and technology, which helps keep disease from spreading the way it did in the Middle Ages.