The Black Death (Causes) Flashcards
From where did the Black Death originate? (1)
Central Asia.
Between which dates did it ‘sweep’ through Europe? (1)
1348-50.
Around how many of Europe’s population were killed? (2)
20 million, around a third of the population.
What was the plague germ called? (1)
Yersinia Pestis.
Where did the germ live? (1)
In the digestive tract (stomach) of fleas.
How did the European environment in the Middle Ages help spread the Black Death? (3)
The environment was perfect for the rats (which fleas lived on) because of
- Thatched roofs
- Straw on the floor
- Inadequate rubbish disposal
What were the four main factors of the Middle Ages which helped the spread of the Black Death? (4)
- Trade routes.
- Poor public health and sanitation.
- Malnutrition (especially in late 1340s after a series of wet summers and crop failures) weakened human resistance.
- Lack of medical knowledge.
What were the three types of plague? (3)
- Bubonic
- Pneumonic
- Septicaemic.
What happened at Caffa in 1346 to help spread the plague? (4)
- Genoese were being besieged by Tartars.
- Tartars catapulted corpses of plague victims into city (early biological warfare!).
- Genoese fled city and made for Sicily.
- They took the plague with them to Europe.
What were two of the medieval spiritual explanations for why the Black Death occurred? (2)
- Muslim and Christian writers believed it be a punishment from God for the sins of the people.
- The three higher planets, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter were in the same plane which as a result corrupted the air.
What were four medieval environmental explanations for why the Black Death occurred? (4)
- Earthquakes, released poisonous fumes into the air.
- Changes in the temperature of the earth created smoke, fire storms or even storms of reptiles, frogs and toads.
- Winds (especially from the south) directly infected people through their eyes and others maintained that.
- Poison in the water supply was the principal cause.
When was the ACTUAL medical cause discovered? (1)
1894
