Brady Gannon
Artifact 3
In the medieval era, the Black Death is the most devastating chain of events that comes to mind in a time of many wars, conflicts, and tragedies. This epidemic is arguably the biggest wide-scale pandemic in the history of mankind, with the disease estimated to have wiped out about one third of the entire Earth’s population. The Black Death however, isn’t the only plague to have devastating effects on humankind. Other notable epidemics to talk about are the Justinian and modern plagues.
To start with the Black Death, the virulence was especially great because of the large number of rodents that lived in close proximity to people. The plague comes from Yersinia pestis which is a bacterium that uses fleas as its vector host. Once the rat host dies the flea with Y. pestis jumps to a new host, in this case the human, which is how this epidemic started.
As expected, with death becoming so common, societal norms and traditions began to change exponentially. To begin, the treatment and handling of the dead was different. Death wheel-barrel like carts were carried through town for the townspeople to deliver their dead to. The funeral bell that was traditionally rung during burials ceased to ring because of how frequent burials were taking place. Many people looked for answers for the disease, most of them having to do with religion, many blamed Jews and had them burned at the stake in town for it. Other religious fanatical groups, such as the flagellants blamed no one but man’s sin, and this was God’s way of punishing us for our wrongdoings.
The plagues did not just have an effect on social aspects of society, but economic and political effects as well. The Justinian plague in 542 AD, reared its head right as western Rome and Eastern Rome were planning to unite, ultimately destroying the plans due to lack of manpower. The Black Death was a terrible tragedy for most, but for some it meant opportunity. After the disease had passed and the smoke and rubble had cleared, there became a surplus of vacant land across the countryside available for peasants to farm and start a new life. These peasants were able to rise a class while nobles and priests lost their serf class and had to adapt some other way. This upper class either turned to learning and performing the jobs their serfs did for them, or taking farmland and workers by force. This is the start of guerilla warfare.
Today, we know much more about the plagues and how to treat and prevent them with modern medicine. Most plagues, if caught early, can be treated with antibiotics and cured. But with modern advancements comes modern issues and problems. Plagues and diseases can travel much faster and further with the frequency of international flights that occurs every day. One example of a modern plague is the Madagascar plague outbreak of the late 1990s.
The Madagascar plague is extremely deadly, with a fatality rate in untreated patients of 100%. A political upheaval and cuts in foreign assistance lead to typical government practices we take for granted being shut down, such as sanitation. It is commonplace for people in Madagascar to have their cattle, chicken, and crops inside of their home out of fear of them being stolen, which of course is a large factor of disease, with rainy season being the worst time for outbreaks. The most unorthodox practice contributing to the plague however, is the practice of unearthing of dead family members to consult with them. Hospitals tried to combat this practice, but families caught on and stopped bringing their loved ones to hospitals to be treated, making the plague harder and harder to eradicate.
Help Received:
plague history powerpoint
Plague movie
Echose of Ebola as plague hits Madagascar – Leslie Roberts.
