The Black Death Flashcards
Where do the Black Death begin and where did it spread to?
It began in Asia and travelled along Western European trade routes. It reached Constantinople in Turkey and arrived in England in 1348.
What was the Black Death?
The Black Death was an epidemic disease in the Medieval Period.
How many people died from the Black Death in Europe?
How many people died from the Black Death in Britain?
The Black Death killed nearly half of Europe’s population.
At least 1.5 million people died in Britain.
What were the 2 different plagues in the Black Death?
It was a combination of bubonic and pneumonic plagues.
What were 2 ways the Black Plague was spread?
Rat fleas but and drank the blood of infected rats and then the fleas would transfer the disease to humans by feeding off them.
People with the Pneumonic plague would cough and spray deadly germs.
What did the Pneumonic plague target in a human?
It attacked the lungs of the victim.
Name 2 symptoms of the Pneumonic plague:
The victims breath would smell due to their lungs rotting inside them.
The victims would cough up blood.
Where was the germ for the Black Death usually found?
It was in the blood of black rats and the gut of the rats fleas.
What was the main symptom for the bubonic plague?
There would be large black lumps in their armpits or groin and they would develop a rash which had red and black spots dotted on it.
How long did victims last from the bubonic plague, and then the Pneumonic plague?
For bubonic around seven out of ten victims died within a week.
For the Pneumonic most victims died within a few days.
Name 3 things that people came up with to explain the cause of the Black Death:
. An earthquake that happened in China in 1347
. The Jews have poisoned the wells and springs
. Bad smells from an overflowing privy or rotten food has poisoned the air
Name 3 things people did to avoid the Black Death:
. They avoided taking baths because opening your pores would let the disease in
. Carry a posey if sweet-smelling herbs to keep the bad smells away
. Bathe in urine three times a day or drink it once a day
. Avoid all plague victims
. Avoid eating too much
Name 3 things people did to cure the Black Death:
. Pop open buboes to release the disease
. Plaster the plague sores with a paste made from cooked onions and yeast
. Limit the number of mourners at a funeral
. Have yourself bled to release the evil spirits from your body
When did the Black Death epidemic end?
It ended in 1350, however it had not died out it had only subsided.
When were there other outbreaks of the Black Death?
1361-62, 1369, 1379-83, 1389-93.
