Plague

Question: What effects did the plague of 1347 have on the economy of the fuedal system? please give any other information on this plague you can. such as: the causes the symptoms the number of deaths and those types of things.

Answer: Because the Black Death wiped out a vast proportion of Europe's population it created a shortage of labour. At that point in 1348 serfdom was widespread and the tenants of a feudal Lord had to work his land, perform tasks he required of them and form part of a fighting force when he was called to war by the King. These tenants had no say in the matter or they would be thrown out of their homes. Now, with this shortage of labour, for the first time this social class had the ability to select when and where they would work and sell their labour to the highest bidder. Wages became an integral part of the workforce. If a someone did not like the conditions under which they worked, they could up sticks and offer their service to another Lord. Coming out of the East, the Black Death reached the shores of Italy in the spring of 1348 unleashing a rampage of death across Europe unprecedented in recorded history. By the time the epidemic played itself out three years later, anywhere between 25% and 50% of Europe's population (roughly 30 to 60 million people) had fallen victim to the pestilence. The plague presented itself in three interrelated forms. The bubonic variant (the most common) derives its name from the swellings or buboes that appeared on a victim's neck, armpits or groin. These tumors could range in size from that of an egg to that of an apple. Although some survived the painful ordeal, the manifestation of these lesions usually signaled the victim had a life expectancy of up to a week. Infected fleas that attached themselves to rats and then to humans spread this bubonic type of the plague. A second variation - pneumonic plague - attacked the respiratory system and was spread by merely breathing the exhaled air of a victim. It was much more virulent than its bubonic cousin - life expectancy was measured in one or two days. Finally, the septicemic version of the disease attacked the blood system. The name "Black Death" wasn't actually coined until the mid 19th century, due to the recorded instants of the buboes being a dark purple in colour. To those around at the time it was known as "The Great Mortality".

Question: Factors that contributed to the spread of the bubonic Plague? What factors help contribute to the spread of the Bubonic plague? Geography, lifestyle during the 14th century, anything? And what remedies did people try to use during the 14th century to cure the plague? I'm doing a project on black death/bubonic plague and i need some help.

Answer: Cats During the time frame they were consider the familiars of the devil and when the plague was reported it was also considered the work of the devil. People went about exterminating the cats as a sign of the devil, however in doing so they killed the one creature that was keeping down the rat population that was spreading the disease.

Question: How did the plague spread from person to person? The plague, also known as the Great Mortality or the Pestilence, decimated Europe. Writers of the time estimated that this illness killed 20-40% of Europeans. The plague started in Asia in the early 1340s and spread to Europe in 1347. The fourteenth century!

Answer: The plague spread mainly because of animals and unsanitary conditions in European towns. This disease, carried by rats was often passed on to other animals which were handled by humans. Since towns were dirty and unsanitary, disease was able to spread very quickly. Streets were unclean, etc. Once a few people were sick, it was easy to spread the disease to more people who came in contact with them. The plague was very contagious!

Question: How are the Black Death and the Bubonic Plague two different things? As a history B.A., I should know this but I keep getting the two confused. I know from a medical standpoint that these two things are different. How are the Black Death and the Bubonic Plague two different things? I am aware that the Bubonic Plague was a result of the transmission of "yersinia pestis" to the known world (at the time anyway). Thanks for clarifying this for me.

Answer: Well, the above answer is sort of correct. The Black Death refers to the plague which swept Europe from 1347 to 1351, killing an estimated 200 million people in 1347 alone. Plague refers to Yersinia Pestis, in the Bubonic, Pnuemonic, and Septicemic forms known to science today. There was a study done in 2002 that seemed to show that the Black death may not have been Plague, specifically because of the lack of rat population die-off, and because of the speed of transmission. Not all the experts agree, however. See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1925513.stm Also, the BBC History Series has a great set of articles about the Black Death at http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/black_01.shtml This has interested me over the last 40 years because as a young Army Medic in Vietnam I was with a unit that encountered Plague infecting human beings. It was a real wake up call to learn that this medieval killer was still a modern day problem.

Question: How long can someone survive if they have the bubonic plague and it goes untreated? I've been doing a rather large amount of research on the lesser-known variation of the plague called "septicemic plague," or the blood-transmitted version of the plague. I haven't been able to find how long you can last if it goes untreated. I know the bubonic plague can kill it a matter of days, but supposedly the septicemic variation can kill in a matter of hours. Is this true, and if not how long does it take for a victim to die from untreated plague?

Answer: Bubonic plague is caused by Yersinia pestis. And I think there are a number of antibiotic for that infection. So survival depends on whether treatment was initiated early in the course of the disease or too late that the patient has gone to septicemic shock.

Question: How can the plague, (any sort) be spread from humans to humans? Say someone had the plague, but you didn't. How near could you stand to that person without catching the plague from them? And could the plague spread to you by simply touching the infected person? And are there any other ways the plague can be spread from humans to other humans?

Answer: Pneumonic plague can spread person to person airborne. Bubonic plague will spread via flea bites.

Question: How would a future plague affect society? How many people would die in a future plague epidemic? How would it be controlled? Could it be prevented? Is it possible, if the plague was to mutate and become stronger? How would it affect society? How would it affect the economy? What is the potential of the plague, if it became an epidemic, due to people living closely; in cities and such, and people travelling on planes? Would it travel to other countries? And by plague; bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic.

Answer: I was going to tell you that since those types of plague (the ones caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis) are carried by fleas and the rats they ride on, and since they are treatable with antibiotics, it would be impossible to have a large-scale epidemic like they did in historical times. But I googled it anyway, and found a medical journal article about the hypothesis that plague could be used as a terrorist weapon. I'm sending you a link. Although plague is unlikely to cause a future large-scale epidemic, if you are curious about what an epidemic might do, google "avian flu" or "bird flu." People are making all kinds of predictions of what would happen if that became more contagious than it is now.

Question: How many people died during the plague of the 14th century? The plague, also known as the Great Mortality or the Pestilence, decimated Europe. Writers of the time estimated that this illness killed 20-40% of Europeans. The plague started in Asia in the early 1340s and spread to Europe in 1347. The fourteenth century!

Answer: if your answering yourself..why are you asking a question? but it was 23,840,000.

Question: How was art affected by War and the Plague during the enlightenment period? I'm looking for pictures and professional/ scholarly articles on how art was affected by the wars and plague around the world. I'm looking at the time period of 1690-1790 and a little before and a little after. I've been looking but I can't seem to find much of anything.

Answer: you really have to look at the religious art for that period, as apart from the dutch, in general, art was sinful waste, so the church snaffled it all and had it religosized so to speak. However there are some fine pieces in the vatican and other churches.

Question: What is the best way to get rid of plague in between one's teeth? I brush, floss, and use mouthwash twice a day on my teeth, but yet, for some reason i still get a lot of plague build up between my teeth. Does anyone know a good way to remove it?

Answer: Zylitol is a very good sweetener that balances the fauna and flora in our digestive system. It kills a lot of the bad bacteria in the mouth. After I brush and floss my teeth I take a half of a teaspoon and put it in my mouth until it liquefies, then I swish it around until the sweetness is gone. It really reduces the amount of time I have to brush my teeth and reduces the plaque. Several mouth washes are starting to use it and even many breath fresheners. Many toothpastes and mouthwashes have sugar which are the perfect food for plaque and odor causing flora. You can find Zylitol in many health food stores.

Question: How did the black plague affect and change music? I'm writing a thesis paper on how the black plague affected the arts. Mainly, for art and literature, I've found that death and sorrow began to be depicted much more accurately during that time. I haven't really been able to find as many examples for music. If possible, I'd like to have some additional sources to research further as well as initial answers. Thanks in advance.

Answer: A child's song originating during the Black Plague and even up to today is: Ring around the rosie, -> Skin condition Pocket Full of Posies, -> Flowers carried for smell ashes, ashes -> Sneezing We all fall down -> Fall down dead This is a direct reference to falling down dead. For specific interpretation see: http://www.snopes.com/language/literary/…

Question: How did the plague influence religious belief systems? The great plague of 1347-1351 produced dramatic social and religious change. Discuss the difference between elite and commoner reactions to the plague within religion, and also the social change that the plague wrought in its aftermath.

Answer: "Some" of the Changes at that Time were that the People FALSELY Thought that the Majority of the Churches of that Time and Day would SOME-HOW Help with this Problem !

Question: What did the church believe about the black plague? At the time of the plague, where did the church think the plague came from, and what did they believe about it?

Answer: The Black Death led to cynicism toward religious officials who could not keep their promises of curing plague victims and banishing the disease. No one, the Church included, was able to cure or accurately explain the reasons for the plague outbreaks. One theory of transmission was that it spread through air, and was referred to as miasma, or 'bad air'. This increased doubt in the clergy's abilities. Extreme alienation with the Church culminated in either support for different religious groups such as the flagellants, which from their late 13th century beginnings grew tremendously during the opening years of the Black Death, and later to a pursuit of pleasure and hedonism. It was a common belief at the time that the plague was due to God's wrath, caused by the sins of mankind; In response, the flagellants travelled from town to town, whipping themselves in an effort to mimic the sufferings of Jesus prior to his crucifixion. Originating in Germany, several miraculous tales emerged from their efforts, such as a child being revived from the dead, and a talking cow. These stories further fuelled the belief that the flagellants were more effective than church leaders. It may have been that the flagellant's later involvement in hedonism was an effort to accelerate or absorb God's wrath, to shorten the time with which others suffered. More likely, the focus of attention and popularity of their cause contributed to a sense that the world itself was ending, and that their individual actions were of no consequence. Sadly, the flagellants may have more likely contributed to the actual spreading of the disease, rather than its cure. Presumably, there were towns that the flagellants visited or passed through which were largely unaffected by the plague until that point, only to be infected by fleas carried either by the flagellant's followers, or the flagellants themselves. This is a common ironic theme in how individuals at the time dealt with the plague—that in nearly all cases, the methods employed to defend against the plague encouraged its spread. The Black Death hit the monasteries very hard because of their proximity with the sick, who sought refuge there, so that there was a severe shortage of clergy after the epidemic cycle. This resulted in a mass influx of hastily-trained and inexperienced clergy members, many of whom knew little of the discipline and rigor of the veterans they replaced. This led to abuses by the clergy in years afterwards and a further deterioration of the position of the Church in the eyes of the people.

Question: How do you prevent the spread of the Black Death or plague? If you were in the middle ages, how could you prevent the spread of the plague. You cannot invent penicillin.

Answer: Controlling the rat population as that was one of the major causes of the spread. Once the disease is out there, quarantine of those infected would be very important..

Question: How long did a person who has septicemic plague have to live? Hello Everyone, I have to do an assignment about the Plague (in the middle ages) & I was just wondering: "How long does a person who has septicemic plague have to live?' Is it like 2 days or a week or more or less? Please Answer! Ashley!

Answer: The victims didn't have long to live at all. "In primary septicaemic plague, the victim has a sudden onset of high fever and turns deep purple in several hours, often dying within the same day that symptoms first develop." http://uk.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_7… "Septicaemic plague was rarer, but could kill within a few hours. It attacked the bloodstream, flooding it with so many plague bacilli that human fleas were able to become carriers. There were reports of priests and doctors attending the dying who died at the bedside before their patient." http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Black+Dea…

Question: Is it true that komodo dragons have bubonic plague in their saliva? I read on wikipedia that they have 50 strains of bacteria, but my husband says they also have plague in their mouth. Doesn't hurt them, but hurts those they bite. Any exotic types out there know if the plague thing is true?

Answer: The Discovery channel reported that a strain of bacteria in their mouths could cause the bubonic plague if it were to somehow get from what ever they bit to a person and that person were to get somewhere and spread it. Highly unlikely as what ever they bite normally dies in a few minutes anyway. They stated that for the bubonic plague to spread from Kimono Dragons is so insufficient that it is not really a possibility.