The Black Death A Widespread Disease - 1148 Words

The Black Death was a catastrophic pandemic - a widespread disease, which spread over western Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe between the years 1346-1353. Playing an important role in history; a time known to have devastating effects and significant losses of population causing demographic impacts throughout the continents. Europe saw populations exponentially decline due to mortality rates during the outbreak. The Black Death killed tens of millions of people in Europe, this overall leaving the continent in misery and devastation during the presence of the outbreak and after. There have been historical accounts discovered and written over the centuries for example Giovanni Boccaccio s description published in ‘The Decameron’ (1350) outlined some of the symptoms conveying the black death first betrayed itself by the emergence of certain tumors in the groin or the armpits, some of which grew as large as a common apple, others as an egg (Ewen Callaway 2011) . During the Black Death, there was no knowledge of bacteria, viruses or microbiology leading to the ‘great majority of people believing that the disease was god s punishment of their sins’. However over time few physicians who knew classical Greek medicine believe it was miasma. Miasma was pollution of the air by toxic vapors containing putrid matter which spread by the wind (Benedictow 2004). This gave people more scientific views on the origins of the black death even with little evidence or knowledge.Show MoreRelatedThe Plague : The Great Plague1064 Words   |  5 Pagesanything to stop its deadly trail. The disease struck and killed with terrifying speed, leading Italian writer Boccaccio to declare, its victims â€Å"ate lunch with their friends and dinner with their ancestors in paradise.† Certainly, modern medicine understands plague and now has treatment available; however, history will reveal how easily a pandemic can resurface and become deadly once ag ain. 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