Loose Papers: A Collection of School Essays

Black Death Analysis

Topic: Epidemiology 
Grade: A

Black Death Analysis

           Between the years 1347 to 1350, medieval Europe was ruled by the agonizing plague which terminated between half and two thirds of the population in horrendous and gruesome ways. Many thought this to be divine punishment, an act of God to punish the sinful human race. Messina, Sicily was the first stop on the Black Death's train of terror, and Genoa, Italy wasn't far behind. The brutal illness impacted human civilization and development vastly, greatly changing the ways in which people thought about social order and medicine.

          "At the beginning of October 1347, twelve Genovese ships were fleeing from the vengeance which god was taking. They entered the harbor of Messina. In their bones they bore so deadly an illness that could not avoid death. The infection then spread to anyone who met the disease." These were the words of Michael Piazza, a Franciscan Friar which captures the fear that had been placed in all who knew of the disease. It was a medical epidemic of great proportions. A once thriving and wealthy coastal city with many imported good torn to shreds by the sickness modern doctors theorize originated from those imported goods.

          Italy's medieval medical professionals had theorized many interesting ways to prevent and cure the baffling sickness. To quote Gentile Defalagno, a renowned doctor of the 1300's, "No disease of comparative malignancy has ever been witnessed." It was a sickness no one could have foresaught, an illness which shocked and struck fear into citizens and medical experts alike. The Black Death had cruel symptoms which no one should have to face. A fever, followed by vicious vomiting, then painful swellings, buboes, of the lymph nodes. These swellings, or buboes, would appear in the armpits, legs, neck, or groin A bubo was at first a red color. The bubo then turned a dark purple color, or black, sources tell us. Other side effects included, but are not limited to delirium, bleeding of the lungs, muscular pains, and mental disorientation. The medieval doctors would advise to the victims of the plague to eat copious amounts of lettuce and apply a salve consisting of white lily root, resin, human fecal matter and occasionally blood. Many doctors had the idea that it was possible for the human body to heal itself, and so by using human excrement, unknowingly contaminated the victim of the illness with even more lethal bacteria.

            Being one of the first places the plague struck, the people of Italy were utterly unprepared. Death was knocking on everyone's door, and those in higher power weren't spared. Over 60 priests had died, as well as other nobles and authority figures. The economy crashed, trading stopped, and people truly believed Armageddon was among them. Gabriel de Lucas believed everyone was "Poisoned by the contagious peasants". People quit doing their jobs, famine reared its ugly head, and common folk turned to bars and looting as a way to cope with the thought of possibly dying at any moment. The once prominent social order turned into chaos, and people were living everyday as though they would die the very next.

Lobsters As gruesome and vile as the Black Death was, it gave way to a nationwide breakthrough to the survivors. People began to work harder at their craft, as well as incorporate art, music, culture, and drama into their lives, giving way to the beginning of the new Golden Age, the Renaissance.

Word Count: 567

Primary Sources:
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/medm/hd_medm.htm
https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/sbook.asp 

Secondary Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xkpDeD9clk
http://www.lordsandladies.org/black-death.htm