Black Death/Epidemics

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture on Black Death, cholera, typhus, and AIDS, highlighting causes, impacts, and societal reactions.

What was the time period of the Great Dying or Black Death?

1345-1353

What are some symptoms of the Black Death?

Fever, swollen and oozing nodes (buboes).

What did the Paris faculty of medicine attribute the causes of the Great Dying to in 1345?

Atmospheric alterations and divine punishment.

What does 'Quaranta' refer to in the context of quarantine during the Great Dying?

It means forty, as ships waited forty days before unloading. Jesus 40 days in the wilderness/ fasting was a significant biblical reference.

Who were some of the scapegoats blamed for the Black Death?

Foreign travellers, Jews, village idiots, and others considered outsiders.

What was a major impact of the Great Dying on Europe's population?

• Wiped out about a quarter to a third of Europe's population.

• Isolation standard practice for treatment

• Led to great famine

How many major cholera pandemics have there been? What are major symptoms?

About seven major cholera pandemics. Common symptoms include severe diarrhea, dehydration, and vomiting. Lead to death sometimes within hours

What was John Snow's contribution to the understanding of cholera?

He linked drinking water to cholera in 1854 and traced the source to the London Street Pump.

What did Robert Koch confirm in relation to cholera?

He confirmed John Snow's hypothesis by discovering Vibrio Cholerae in 1884.

When did AIDS first emerge, and with which populations was it associated? (Hint: 3 H’s)

Emerging in 1981 and associated commonly with harlots (prostitutes), the homeless, and homosexuals.

What are some of the political and social consequences of the AIDS epidemic?

Intolerance, fear, and politics of interference.

What questions are posed regarding the historical significance of studying epidemics?

What lessons can we learn? How have they shaped contemporary global disease approaches?

What is meant by the social construction of diseases in a historical context?

Social position of the sick became central to medical concept of disease

• Underlined the treatment or understanding of diseases

• Prosecution or elimination of strangers

• Racialization of diseases

• Its impact underlined how other epidemics were understood

What were approaches to treating cholera?

• Sick newcomers were confined to sheds without water sewage facilities

• Healthy immigrants were also confined in the same space

• Sheds were managed by a charity from the middle class

• Intention was not to cure but to keep sickness at bay

• Endorsed the idea that the dirty, poor, or immigrants were most susceptible

What did people attribute cholera too before John Snow?

Blamed immigrants/ “dirty” poor

What was typhus?

Typhus is an infectious disease caused by bacteria, typically transmitted by lice or fleas, characterized by fever, headache, and rash. It was notably prevalent during times of war and in overcrowded conditions, often linked to poor sanitation.

How was the solution for typhus controversial?

• Immigrants confined to overcrowded conditions in sheds without proper sanitation were seen as a solution.

• This approach was criticized for perpetuating stigma and failing to address underlying health issues.

What was another name for HIV?

Gay, African or Haitian disease