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Overview
A summary of the Black Death
All the conditions were right for an epidemic. Doctors were powerless against infectious disease. People were weakened by war and harvest failures.
Black Death
The Black Death was a devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s. The plague arrived in Europe in October 1347, when 12 ships from the Black Sea docked at the Sicilian port of Messina.
Plague
Plague is a bacterial infection found mainly in rodents and their fleas. But via those fleas it can sometimes leap to humans. When it does, the outcome can be horrific, making plague outbreaks the most notorious disease episodes in history.
The Black Death: The Greatest Catastrophe Ever
The disastrous mortal disease known as the Black Death spread across Europe in the years 1346-53. The frightening name, however, only came several centuries after its visitation (and was probably a mistranslation of the Latin word ‘atra’ meaning both ‘terrible’ and ‘black)’.
Spread of the Black Death
Animation showing the spread of The Black Death from 1346 through to 1351.
Timemaps. (2010, October 14). Spread of the Black Death. Retrieved May 14, 2018, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spread-Of-The-Black-Death.gif
Education Video
How sophisticated was medical practice in Medieval Europe?
In this clip, learn about common forms of diagnosis and cures for ailments in the 14th century.
And brace yourself for a medieval-style amputation; it's not pretty.