Black Death

May 17, 1998

Medieval medicine and health was terrible the people did not understand the need for cleanliness and hygiene. Many blamed the black death on Jews, black cats, and gods anger. They were always centered on god and believed that self purity was the only thing that would salvage them. 

The influence of Christian theology affected medicine in many ways, because disease was usually considered supernatural in origin they tried to cure the soul rather than the body. Since disease was cured by religious means scientific investigation was held back during this period of time. The Christian emphasis on charity and concern led to the establishment of spacious fine hospitals in the later middle ages built by the knights of St.John. The first medical school was founded at Salerno in the 8th century.

The Black death (1346-1352) wiped out about half of the population of Europe. The Bubonic plague was called the black death because the dead bodies turned a dark color. It was brought to Europe from Mongolia on the Silk Road. The bacteria was brought on fleas on rats. There were three different types of the disease: Pneumonic-which attacked the lungs, Septicemic-which appeared in the blood stream, and the Bubonic- which caused bubbles on the body. After someone was infected by the bacteria they had about to live. When the rich fled from the cities that spread the disease even further.

Even without the war and the plague life was tough. no one understood the need for cleanliness or hygiene. In the towns the narrow, twisted streets served as both sewer and walkway.3 They had crowded living quarters of crude huts and they slept on bags of straw. Some people lived in the countryside but the majority lived in towns. Most people had an unbalanced diet consisting of black bread, eggs, poultry, cabbage and turnips.1

Europe had a high mortality rate, about one-third of all children born died before the age of five. Leprosy was very common in Medieval Times. The infected were forced to live as beggars and when going through the streets were required to ring a bell to warn others that they were approaching.3

After the plague and war life was better for those who survived. Since the population was cut in half there was a higher demand for jobs. There was also more food and everything to go around. More and more people moved to towns to be free of the lords power. This of course decreased the power of the lords therefore distroying the manorialist system. 4

Towards the end of the middle ages the focus turned away from god and on enjoying life. Scientific studies advanced and the arts and many writers flourished and the great age of the Renaissance began.