1. The Black Death
Chapter 14

2. Pre Black Death Growth Europe’s population doubled between 1100 & 1345
Reviving economy
Warmer weather reduced deaths
More farmland needed
Three-field system
Draining swamps & clearing forests

3. The Famine of 1315-1317 A population crisis developed
Climate changes in Europe produced three years of crop failures between because of excessive rain
As many as 15% of the peasants in some English villages died
One consequence of starvation & poverty was susceptibility to disease

4. The Culprits

5. Three Bacterial Strains
Bubonic – most common; buboes; 50-80% of victims died
Pneumonic – more deadly; infected respiratory system; killed within hours
Septicemic – infected blood stream; almost 100% victims died

6. Septicemic Form: almost 100% mortality rate.
The Symptoms
Bulbous
Septicemic Form: almost 100% mortality rate.

7. The Disease Cycle Human is infected!
Flea drinks rat blood that carries the bacteria.
Bacteria
multiply in
flea’s gut.
Human is infected!
Flea bites human and regurgitates blood into human wound.
Flea’s gut clogged with bacteria.

8. 1347: Plague Reaches Constantinople

10. From the Toggenburg Bible, 1411

11. Lancing a Buboe

12. Medieval Art & the Plague

13. Medieval Art & the Plague
Bring out your dead!

14. Medieval Art & the Plague An obsession with death.

15. Boccaccio in The Decameron
The victims ate lunch with their friends and dinner with their ancestors.

16. Attempts to Stop the Plague
“Leeching”
A Doctor’s Robe

17. Attempts to Stop the Plague
Flagellanti: Self-inflicted “penance” for our sins!

18. Attempts to Stop the Plague “Golden Circle” obligatory badge
“Jew” hat

19. Social Changes Laborers could demand higher pay Revolts
Jacquerie (France) 1358 – peasants looted castles
England (1381) – peasants invaded London demanding end to serfdom, which practically did disappear as higher waged enabled them to purchase their own land
Per capita production rose

20. Population did not reach preplague levels until 1500!
The Mortality Rate
35% - 70%
25,000,000 dead !
1/3 of Western Europeans
Population did not reach preplague levels until 1500!