The Black Death

The Bubonic plague was a disease that was most prevalent during the Renaissance. The Bubonic plague was such a horrible disease that it affected every part of life, but there was little that could be done for it.

Many people tried everything they could to cure it but nothing would work.

The Bubonic plague was one of the most horrible diseases ever. The plague was one that killed millions.

The Bubonic plague struck fear into those who had not yet fallen into its grips. It’s estimated that as many as two million people were killed by the plague (Lee 179). Wilson describes the fear tremendous in his book The Black Death:

The Black Plague severely traumatized those who survived it, but records indicate that people resumed the business of living only to meet the next wave of the Plague, and then the next, striking one part of Europe or another every year for three centuries. (435)

It is said that 90% of the people infected with the disease were killed (home.nycap). The extreme number of people that died from the plague was the reason for the fear.

The plague was most certainly brought to Europe from Asia (Dols 41). The plague was never ending and still exists in the rodents of the region (41). The plague was most commonly caused by the bite of a flea. The fleas were infected with bacteria called Yersinia pestis (Center for Disease Control). The fleas were carried over on rats that were coming from Asia on ships and being let into Europe when the ship docked. The rats lived among the people because of the sanitation during this time was terrible. You could also get the plague from being in such close contact with the people infected with the plague. If the infected person coughed he or she would blow the bacteria into the air and you could breathe it in and become infected (CDC.gov). It being so easy to get infected was the reason for the amounts of death.

Seeing someone with the plague was a terrible sight to see. The symptoms were what made the body look horrific. The typical signs of the plague were a tender lymph gland, accompanied by tremendous pain. The swollen gland was called a “bubo” which is where the name comes from. The plague was suspected when someone had a swollen gland, chills, headache, and extreme exhaustion (CDC.gov). The plague was extremely painful to have been infected with.