Week 5: Notes and Slides (9) Flashcards
Define Buboes:
Swollen, painful lymph nodes that develop in areas like the groin, neck, and armpits as a symptom of bubonic plague, filled with infected blood and pus.
Define Quarantine:
A practice of isolating individuals suspected of carrying infectious diseases for a set period, historically 40 days, to prevent the spread of illness.
Why did people during the plague believe that “bad smells” could spread disease?
They associated illness with foul odors, believing that “miasmas” (bad air) caused infections. This led to the practice of surrounding themselves with pleasant smells as a protective measure.
How did quarantine practices help control the spread of the plague, even though people didn’t fully understand its mechanism?
By isolating individuals for 40 days, they inadvertently reduced person-to-person transmission, which helped to limit the spread of the disease.
What did some people do to “drive away” the plague according to the “bad smell” theory?
A) Surrounded themselves with pleasant smells and rang church
bells
B) Bathed frequently to stay clean
C) Avoided crowded places and open-air markets
D) Stopped eating fresh fruits and vegetables
A
What was the common symptom associated with the pneumonic form of the plague?
A) Swollen lymph nodes in the groin and armpits
B) Severe vomiting and diarrhea
C) Skin rashes and itchiness
D) Coughing up blood and
respiratory failure
D
True or False: The church and academics believed that the plague was a punishment from God.
Answer: False
Reason: Even the church recognized that the plague was a disease, not divine punishment, although they lacked understanding of its true causes.
True or False: People were discouraged from bathing during the plague, believing it could make them more vulnerable to the disease.
Answer: True
Reason: Bathing was considered risky, and people believed it could open the body to bad air or weaken them, making them more susceptible.
Explain how the breakdown of trust in authority figures affected people’s response to the plague.
As trusted figures like the church and medical professionals could not effectively explain or control the plague, people lost faith in traditional authorities and began experimenting with alternative, often superstitious, methods of prevention and cure.
What were some of the “wild speculations” people had about preventing or curing the plague?
People believed that avoiding certain foods (like poultry and pork), thinking positive thoughts, listening to melodious music, or surrounding themselves with precious stones could prevent the plague.
These theories were largely ineffective but showed the desperation and confusion in the face of the epidemic.
Describe the pathogenesis of the plague.
The plague bacteria spread through fleas that drink infected rat blood.
The bacteria multiply in the flea’s gut, causing it to clog.
When the flea bites a human, it regurgitates blood and bacteria into the wound, infecting the person.
