"Black Death" is a disease of the Middle Ages. Bubonic plague. The epidemic of plague in the middle of the fourteenth century: causes and consequences

"Black Death" is a disease about which legends are now composed. In fact, the so-called epidemic of plague, which struck Europe, Asia, North Africa and even Greenland in the 14th century. The pathology was predominantly in the bubonic form. The territorial focus of the disease was the Gobi desert. Where this place is, many know. The Gobi belongs to Eurasia. Black sea appeared precisely there because of the small ice age that triggered the sharp and dangerous climate change.

Bubonic plague took 60 million lives. In some regions, the number of deaths reached two-thirds of the population. Due to the unpredictability of the disease, as well as the inability to cure it at that time, religious ideas began to thrive among people. Ordinary was the belief in higher powers. At the same time, the persecution of the so-called "poisoners", "witches", "sorcerers" began, which, according to religious fanatics, sent an epidemic to the people.

This period has remained in history as the time of impatient people, whom fear, hatred, distrust and numerous superstitions have struck. In fact, the outbreak of bubonic plague, of course, has a scientific explanation.

The myth of the onset of bubonic plague

When historians searched for ways of penetrating the disease to Europe, they settled on the opinion that there was a plague in Tatarstan. More precisely, it was brought by the Tatars.

In 1348, Crimean Tatars led by Khan Dzhanybekom during the deposition of the Genoese fortress of Kafa (Theodosia) threw corpses of people who had died before the plague there. After liberation, the Europeans began to leave the city, spreading the disease throughout Europe.

But the so-called "plague in Tatarstan" was nothing more than a conjecture of people who do not know how to explain the sudden and deadly flash of "black death."

The theory was defeated, as it became known that a pandemic was not transmitted between people. She could get infected from small rodents or insects.

Such a "general" theory existed for quite a long time and contained many mysteries. In fact, the epidemic of the plague of the 14th century, as it turned out later, began for several reasons.

Natural causes of the pandemic

In addition to the dramatic climate change in Eurasia, the outbreak of bubonic plague was preceded by several more environmental factors. Among them:

• A global drought in China, followed by a massive famine;
• In Henan Province, a massive locust invasion ;
• For a long time in Beijing rains and hurricanes dominated.

Like "Justinian Plague," as the first pandemic in history is known, "black death" overtook people after massive natural disasters. She even went the same way as her predecessor.

Reduced immunity of people, provoked by an environmental factor, led to a mass incidence. The catastrophe reached such proportions that the heads of churches had to open rooms for the sick population.

Plague in the Middle Ages also had socio-economic preconditions.

The socio-economic causes of bubonic plague

Natural factors could not provoke such a serious outbreak of the epidemic on their own. They were supported by such socio-economic prerequisites:

• Military actions in France, Spain, Italy;
• Domination of the Mongol-Tatar yoke over part of Eastern Europe;
• Strengthened trade;
• Rapidly evolving poverty;
• Too high population density.

Another important factor that provoked the invasion of the plague was a belief that implied that healthy believers should wash themselves as rarely as possible. According to the saints of that time, contemplation of their own nude body introduces a person into temptation. Some followers of the church were so imbued with this opinion that they did not sink into the water once in the entire conscious life.

Europe in the 14th century was not considered a pure power. The population did not follow the disposal of garbage. Wastes were thrown directly out of the windows, the slops and contents of the night pots were poured onto the road, the blood of livestock was drained there. This all later fell into the river, from which people took water for cooking and even for drinking.

Like the Justinian Plague, the "black death" was provoked by a large number of rodents who lived in close contact with people. In the literature of that time, you can find many records on what to do in the case of an animal bite. As you know, rats and marmots are carriers of the disease, so people were afraid of even one kind of panic. In an effort to overcome rodents, many people forgot about everything, including their family.

How it all began

The point of origin of the disease was the Gobi desert. Where is the place that was the immediate hearth is unknown. It is assumed that the nearby Tatars declared hunting for marmots, which are carriers of the plague. The meat and fur of these animals were highly valued. In such conditions, infection was inevitable.

Many rodents, because of drought and other adverse weather conditions, left their shelters and moved closer to people where more food could be found.

The province of Hebei in China suffered in the first place. At least 90% of the population died there. This is another reason that gave rise to the view that the onset of the plague was provoked by the Tatars. They along the famous Silk Road could lead the disease behind them.

Then the plague reached India, after which it moved to Europe. Surprisingly, only one source at the time mentioned the true nature of the disease. It is believed that people were struck by the bubonic form of the plague.

In countries that were not affected by the pandemic, in the Middle Ages a real panic was raised. The heads of the powers sent messengers for information about the disease and forced specialists to invent a cure for it. The population of some states, remaining in ignorance, willingly believed rumors that in the infected lands it rains from snakes, a fiery wind blows and acid spheres fall from the sky.

Modern Characteristics of the Bubonic Plague

The epidemic of plague in Europe claimed innumerable lives only because people did not have the opportunity to study the disease. Many myths appeared due to ignorance and despair. In fact, the only causative agent of the bubonic plague is a bacterium, the carrier of which is a flea, most often parasitizing on black rats.

Low temperatures, a long time outside the body of the host, thawing can not destroy the causative agent of "black death". But against it is effective sun exposure and drying.

In fact, bacteria that cause plague, parasitize only on rodents. However, in the absence of a potential host, they can move to a person. In the Middle Ages, living conditions were so intolerable that most of the rodents died. On the remaining animals fleas attacked massively. Rodents, in turn, weakened due to illness, searched for places to live in which you can get food, and found them next to people. So bubonic plague spread among the population.

Symptoms of plague in humans

Bubonic plague begins to develop from the moment of a bite of an infected flea. Bacteria enter the lymph nodes and begin their life. Suddenly a person gets chills, his body temperature rises, the headache becomes unbearable, and his features are unrecognizable, black spots appear under his eyes. On the second day after infection, the bubo itself appears. This is the name for the enlarged lymph node.

When the bacteria fully assimilate in the nodes, they penetrate the circulatory system, causing the most severe degree of intoxication. As soon as the parasite enters the blood, black spots, bruises and bleeding appear on the skin and mucous membranes.

A person infected with a plague can be identified immediately. "Black Death" is a disease that changes the face and body beyond recognition. Blisters become noticeable on the second day, and the general condition of the patient can not be called adequate.

Symptoms of plague in a person of the Middle Ages, surprisingly, differ from signs of illness of the modern patient.

Clinical picture of the bubonic plague of the Middle Ages

"Black Death" is a disease that in the Middle Ages was identified by such signs:

• Severe fever, chills;
• aggressiveness;
• A continuous sense of fear;
• Severe pain in the chest;
• dyspnea;
• Cough with bloody discharge;
• Blood and products of life became black;
• In the language you could notice a dark raid;
• Ulcers and buboes arising on the body, exuded an unpleasant odor;
• Blurred consciousness.

These symptoms were seen as a sign of an imminent and imminent death. If a person received such a sentence, he already knew that he had very little time left. Nobody tried to fight such symptoms, they were considered the will of God and the church.

Treatment of bubonic plague in the Middle Ages

Medieval medicine was far from ideal. The doctor who came to examine the patient paid more attention to talking about whether he had confessed, than directly treated. This was due to the religious insanity of the population. Saving the soul was considered a much more important task than curing the body. Accordingly, surgical intervention was practically not practiced.

Methods of treating the plague were as follows:

• Cutting of tumors and cauterization with their red-hot iron;
• Use of antidotes;
• Applying reptiles to the buboes;
• Stretching the disease with magnets.

However, medieval medicine was still not hopeless. Some doctors of the time advised patients to adhere to good nutrition and wait for the body to cope with the plague on its own. This is the most adequate theory of treatment. Of course, in the conditions of that time the cases of recovery were single, but still they took place.

For the treatment of the disease, only mediocre physicians or young people who want to get fame in an extremely risky way were taken. They wore a mask that looked like a bird's head with a pronounced beak. However, such protection did not save everyone, so many doctors died after their patients.

The authorities of the powers advised people to adhere to such methods of fighting the epidemic:

• Escape for a long distance. At the same time it was necessary to overcome as many kilometers as possible very quickly. Staying at a safe distance from the disease was necessary as long as possible.
• Through the infected places, drive herds of horses. It was believed that the breathing of these animals cleans the air. For the same purpose, they advised us to let different insects enter the houses. In a room where a man died recently from a plague, they put a saucer with milk, because it was believed that it absorbs the disease. Also popular were methods such as breeding spiders in the house and burning a large number of fires near the dwelling.
• Do whatever it takes to smell the plague. It was believed that if a person does not feel the stench coming from infected people, he is sufficiently protected. That is why many carried bouquets of flowers with them.

Also, doctors were advised not to sleep after the dawn, not to enter into an intimate relationship and not to think about the epidemic and death. Today, this approach seems crazy, but in the Middle Ages, people found it comforting.

Of course, religion was an important factor that influenced life during the epidemic.

Religion during the epidemic of bubonic plague

"Black Death" is a disease that frightened people with its uncertainty. Therefore, against this background, there were various religious beliefs:

• The plague is a punishment for ordinary human sins, disobedience, a bad attitude towards close people, the desire to succumb to temptations.
• The plague arose because of neglect of faith.
• The epidemic began because the fashion with shoes with sharp socks, which greatly angered God.

Priests who were obliged to listen to the confession of dying people often became infected and died. Therefore, often the cities remained without the servants of the church, because they were afraid for their lives.

Against the background of the heated atmosphere, various groups or sects appeared, each of which explained the cause of the epidemic in its own way. In addition, various superstitions were widely spread among the population, considered to be pure truth.

Superstitions during the epidemic of bubonic plague

In any, even the most insignificant event, during the epidemic people saw peculiar signs of fate. Some superstitions were quite amazing:

• If a completely naked woman will plow the land around the house, and the rest of the family at this time will be in the room, the plague will leave the nearby places.
• If you make a scarecrow that symbolizes the plague, and burn it, the disease will recede.
• That the disease does not attack, you need to carry a silver or mercury.

A lot of legends were formed around the image of the plague. People really believed in them. They were afraid to open the door of their house once more, so as not to let in the plague spirit. Even the native people cursed among themselves, each striving to save themselves and only themselves.

The situation in the society

Oppressed and frightened people eventually came to the conclusion that the plague was spread by the so-called rogue who wanted death to the entire population. The persecution of the suspects began. They were forcibly dragged to the infirmary. Many people who were recognized as suspects committed suicide. The suicide epidemic hit Europe. The problem has reached such a scale that the authorities threatened those who commit suicide, put their corpses on public display.

Since many people were sure that they had very little left to live on, they went to great lengths: they were fond of alcohol, they sought entertainment with women of easy virtue. This way of life further intensified the epidemic.

The pandemic reached such a scale that the corpses were taken out at night, dropping them into special pits and burying them.

Sometimes it happened that patients with plague appeared specifically in society, trying to infect as many enemies as possible. Also, this was due to the fact that it was believed that the plague would recede if passed to another.

In the atmosphere of that time, any person who stood out from the crowd by any sign could be considered a poisoner.

The consequences of the "black death"

"Black Death" has led to significant consequences in all spheres of life. The most significant of them are:

• Significantly changed the ratio of blood groups.
• Instability in the political sphere of life.
• Many villages have emptied.
• It was the beginning of feudal relations. Many people, in whose workshops their sons worked, were forced to hire masters from outside.
• Since there was a lack of manpower for work in the sphere of production, this kind of activity began to be mastered by women.
• Medicine has moved to a new stage of development. Began to study all sorts of diseases and invent drugs from them.
• The servants and the lower strata of the population began to demand a better position for themselves because of a lack of people. Many insolvent people were the heirs of rich deceased relatives.
• Attempts have been made to mechanize production.
• Prices for housing and rent have fallen significantly.
• At a tremendous pace, the self-consciousness of the population grew, not wishing to blindly obey the government. This resulted in various riots and revolutions.
• Significantly weakened the influence of the church on the population. People saw the helplessness of the priests in the fight against the plague, they stopped trusting them. Rituals and beliefs, previously banned by the church, came into use again. The century of "witches" and "sorcerers" began. The number of priests has significantly decreased. Such posts were often taken by uneducated and inappropriate people. Many did not understand, because of what death takes not only criminals, but also good, kind people. In this regard, Europe questioned the power of God.
• After such a large-scale pandemic, the plague finally did not leave the population. Periodically, epidemics erupted in different cities, taking people's lives with them.

Today many researchers doubt that the second pandemic was in the form of bubonic plague.

Opinions about the second pandemic

There are doubts that "black death" is a synonym for the period of prosperity of the bubonic plague. There are explanations for this:

• Patients with plague rarely experienced symptoms such as fever and sore throat. However, modern scholars note that there are a lot of mistakes in the narratives of that time. Moreover, some works are artistic and contradict not only to other stories, but to themselves.
• The third pandemic was able to kill only 3% of the population, while the "black death" knocked out at least a third of Europe. But this also has an explanation. During the second pandemic there was a terrible unsanitary condition, which causes more problems than the disease.
• Bubbons arising from human injury were located under the arms and in the neck. It would be logical, if they arose on their feet, since it is the easiest way to get to a flea. However, this fact is not flawless either. It turns out that along with the rat flea , the plague spreader is a human louse. And there were many such insects in the Middle Ages.
• Usually the epidemic is preceded by the mass death of rats. This phenomenon was not observed in the Middle Ages. This fact can also be challenged, given the presence of human lice.
• The flea, which is the carrier of the disease, is best felt in a warm and humid climate. The pandemic flourished in the coldest winters.
• The spread of the epidemic was a record.

As a result of the conducted studies it was found out that the genome of modern strains of the plague is identical to the disease of the Middle Ages, which proves that it was the bubonic form of pathology that became the "black death" for people of that time. Therefore, any other opinions are automatically moved to the category of incorrect. But a more detailed study of the issue is still ongoing.