The+Black+Death

Introduction  Black Death was an epidemic disease in the Late Middle Ages. Most researchers believe that the Black Death was an outbreak of plague. The plague occurred in three forms: bubonic plague, lung plague and blood plague. Bubonic plague had mortality between 30-70% while lung- and blood plague almost always was fatal. From 1340-1740 was the plague a major problem in Europe and at least 26 million people lost their lives (it took 150 years for Europe's population to recover)). During 1347-51 was the plague as worst, but it continues to came in successive waves until 1740. I will tell you more about why and how the infection spread so quickly, because I think it’s important to know and what has changes until today. I’m also very interested in different diseases …

 Infection, spread between countries In 1347 besieged the important trading town of Kaffa in the Crimea island, of Tatars as was led by Khan Janibeg. They had for a long time used catapults to throw away their dead “friends” over the ramparts. The defenders of Kaffa tried as best they could to throw the bodies into the sea. However, held the catapults a much higher tempo than the defenders... It doesn’t take long before the town was full of rotting and stinking corpses. Now, began the terrible disease get its real start and more ships left the harbor to seek shelter. Unfortunately, got many traders sick (from Genoa) during the trip and continued to spread the infection when they made landfall in Constantinople, Alexandria, Messina, Marseilles, Barcelona and Genoa. From these commercial cities spread the disease like a wave over, first, Italy then France and Spain and then Britain and Germany. In 1349 came the plague to Scandinavia (Norway was the first) and from there it spread to the Baltic’s and Russia. It took some time for the infection to spread further to Sweden because it must “go” over the high mountains and lakes from Norway to us.



 Infection, spread between peoples and animals  Black Death was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis transmitted by fleas that live on rats. When the rats, black rats, became ill and died, transferred this plague bacterium over to human beings… (When the rats died, does "their" bacterium starting to seek after another food source, namely, humans and their animals). The bacterium knocked out our immune system and that’s why we became extremely ill and almost always died. The plague occurred in three forms: bubonic plague, lung plague and blood plague. Bubonic plague had mortality between 30-70% while lung- and blood plague almost always was fatal. Bubonic plague are recognized by the formation of abscesses in the armpits and groin (these could be as big as apples and was also very term). Those who suffer from this kind of plague often die after three days. If black spots occurred on the body and blood vessels burst, you had been hit by another variant, called the blood plague and also mean that the patient coughs blood and sometimes had blood in his urine and feces (100% mortality). A person who was infected with blood plague where able, in his coughing, to infect another person standing nearby. That person became infected of lung plague, because he breathed in the bacteria who then sat down in his lungs (100% mortality). The plague spread so rapidly because of the medieval human traveled so much (for trades purpose). We lived closer together, the streets were more crowded and dirty and everything we wanted to get rid of, we threw out the window. It didn't matter if it was feces, vomit, or old clothes. As you see you can hardly compare the late Middle Ages, with today's society and how the medieval man lived before… Today, we are quite sure that it was mostly our way of living “with” these fleas, which caused the Black Death. We were living too close together and spread the bacteria to other countries when we went there by ship on barter! We did not realize that the rats were infectious carrier, instead believing that God's wrath over the sins that caused the plague. We were created so-called “botgörartåg”, as were people who dressed in rags, loudly complaining pulled up along the roads (also a big cause, since we did this on big areas). One can see the Black Death effect on several various ways, including the economic and ideological. The labor shortages led to the peasants in much of Europe was better, including with better terms, lower fees and taxes. But they were also generally better of saying things. We ventured more than before and even to question the Church's power. Also wages rose and it was better overall. The black rat, who carried the flea Yersinia pestis. 

Summary Black Death, which was spread by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, was carried by black rats. When the rats died, searched the bacteria to human beings. We became infected of bubonic plague, blood plague or lung plauge. It's estimated that between 26-40 million of Europe's 80 million people died. Originally, the plague from the besieged Kaffa 1347th. The disease is spread when tradesmen become ill during the time they traveling with their vessels from different countries for trading purposes. When the ship reaches the shore next time, are many men already dead and the infection is now in a new country… I have read a lot about the Black Death, and have compared some different internet pages. I've noticed that sometimes they write different things, but usually have a few pages written the same thing and only one another. Of course have I taken the course they usually are writing and I think sounds most credible. From one of the sites I get my facts from, the author just has taken his facts from books, writing from 1963-2001, I think that is good! Sources http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digerd%C3%B6den http://www.tacitus.nu/svenskhistoria/artiklar/digerdoden.htm http://www.historiska.se/historia/medeltiden/livochsamhalle/digerdoden/ http://www.sli.se/prodimages/00/media/FIL/6466.pdf Kristin Todal Spsp08 Slottegymnasiet, Ht-09