The Black Death

Beliefs about the Causes

• God had sent the disease as a punishment for sins

• Unusual alignment of the planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in 1345

• Imbalance of the 4 humours

• Existence of evil humours within the body

• Miasma had corrupted the body’s humours

  • Poisonous air was believed to have been released from a volcano or an earthquake

Approaches to Treatment

• People prayed, confessed sins, donated and asked God for forgiveness

• Holy charms were worn to show off religious beliefs

• Bleeding, purging and treatments based on Galens theory were used to rebalance the humours

• Victim would sniff strong herbs like myrrh to replace the bad air in their body

• Victims would light fires to remove the bad air and replace it with the smoke and fumes

• Some victims survived once the pus was released, victims would lance buboes in the hope it would fully cure them

Attempts to Prevent the Spread

• Many prayed to God hoping to avoid punishment

• King and Bishops ordered processions at least once a day in every Church

• People went on pilgrimages and made sacrifices to God, like fasting

• Flagellants whipped themselves to ask for Gods forgiveness

• People carried posies of sweet smelling herbs/flowers

• Rakers cleared animal dung from the streets to stop miasma

• Fines for throwing litter was increased to keep the streets clean

• Butchers had to use segregated areas to butcher animals to reduce waste on the street

• Ringing bells and birds were used to keep the air moving

• New quarantine laws were issued to prevent the movement of people

  • Anyone new to the area had to isolate for 40 days, ensuring they weren’t infected

  • Authorities quarantined houses of victims

When did the Black Death Happen?

• 1348-1349