The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic caused by the bacterium Yersina pestis which spread across Asia and Europe during the 14th century. It was transmitted by fleas, house mice or by contact with another infected person.
On the European continent, the pandemic lasted from 1347 to 1353 . It is estimated that a third of the population in Europe died as a result of the disease. The numbers are imprecise, but vary between 25 and 100 million deaths.
The disease originated in Central Asia (probably in China) and spread to the West through the ships that carried out the trade between Asia and Europe.
Because of the hygienic conditions, these boats brought many rats, which were infected and carried the plague. In addition to the transmission caused by contaminated.
The Origin of the Black Death
The main phenomenon that transmitted the Black Death was the maritime trade carried out by the Black and Mediterranean Seas.
One of the first reports of the Black Death was recorded during the war between the Genoese and Mongols fought in the city of Caffa (present-day Theodosia), on the Crimean Peninsula, in 1346.
Seeing that the Muslim Mongols died, the Catholic Genoese attributed the disease to divine justice, as it was a sign that God would be on the side of the Christians.
When the battles were over, the Genoese returned to the Italian Peninsula taking on board rats that harbored fleas and were the ones that transmitted the disease's bacteria. Since then, several outbreaks of the disease began to appear in different European regions.
So the disease was spread, from ports like Venice, Marseille, Barcelona, Valencia, etc.
Another propagation path was the Silk Road, where caravans from the East to European markets passed.
Cities had a higher rate of contagion than rural regions, as people lived closer together, facilitating contagion.
Characteristics of the disease
The disease could present in three different ways:pulmonary, bubonic and septicemic. Some of the symptoms that could appear to the patient:body aches, high fever, bleeding from the orifices, swelling in the lymph nodes and appearance of bubo, lumps on the skin.
The symptoms of the Black Death were similar to those of a very bad flu, but with the important difference that the lymph nodes swelled. Then, bumps appeared on the skin that looked like the bulbs of plants. Because of this, the disease is also called the "bubonic plague".
Doctors of the Black Death
During the Black Death, cities hired doctors to treat the sick. These were not always qualified or had medical studies, but they were accepted with the hope that they would bring a cure.
Despite being closely related to the Middle Ages, it was only in the 17th century, in the Modern Age, that the doctors wore a mask made of leather and with a beak that resembled that of a bird.
Inside it were aromatic herbs in order to prevent contagion, because for a long time it was believed that the disease was transmitted through the air through the bad smell. These herbs also helped to withstand the stench of putrefaction from corpses.
They were hired by cities to care for the sick, count the dead and alert authorities about possible new outbreaks of the disease.
These doctors made a lot of money during epidemic periods, but ironically, not all of them survived the plague.
What was the cure for the Black Death?
To cure the black plague it was necessary to isolate the sick. There were no effective medications. Even so, the contagion reached and killed the inhabitants of entire villages, emptied monasteries and frightened populations.
The authorities decreed the isolation of the affected regions. This was possible because in the Middle Ages many cities were walled and could easily be closed.
Another measure was to light fires and burn herbs so that the smoke would carry the disease away. Drinks were also used – boiled medicines, made from valerian and verbena, with the aim of treating the sick.
How did the Black Death end?
The Black Death epidemic came to an end due to the hygienic measures employed such as confinement, the construction of hospitals outside the city walls and the incineration of the dead. With that, the contagions decreased.
The truth, however, is that the Black Death was not extinguished, as outbreaks of this disease were recorded all over the world until the beginning of the 20th century.
Consequences of the Black Death
At the same time that the Black Death ravaged Europe, France and England were fighting the Hundred Years' War. These two factors brought about a series of social and economic changes in the Late Middle Ages.
Europe witnessed a demographic decrease (decrease in population) caused by deaths from the Black Death. This decrease was also intensified by epidemics of other diseases (such as measles, rubella, flu, among others).
With fewer people living in Europe, consequently, the continent has seen a shortage of labor in the fields, leading to a decrease in agricultural production. To compensate for the decrease in earnings, feudal lords began to increase the tax burden on serfs. This fact generated several peasant revolts that destabilized medieval society.
In turn, most serfs left the countryside and moved to the cities, where there was more work and resources. Thus, the power of the bourgeoisie begins to grow, initiating the crisis of feudalism and the bourgeois revolution.
Likewise, there were those who appropriated land, goods and inheritances that were left abandoned by those who had died victims of the plague.
Likewise, there were religious orders of flagellants who used to mutilate themselves to seek forgiveness of sins. Indulgences (forgiveness of sins, which was often sold by the clergy), granted by the Catholic Church, also gained strength, as everyone tried to ensure a good death.
Black Death in Brazil
Brazil suffered an epidemic of the Black Death from 1900 to 1907.
In 1899, the city of Porto, in Portugal, was attacked by this disease and probably the Brazilian ships that traded there, brought it to Brazil.
Initially, cases were registered in Santos (SP), but it was the city of Rio de Janeiro, then capital of the country, that faced the greatest consequences. In addition, yellow fever, which was epidemic at the time, and smallpox, joined the bubonic plague, making the situation chaotic.
These diseases were only extinguished through drastic measures of hygiene, vaccination and basic sanitation. However, these were applied without due clarification to the population and gave rise to the Vaccine Revolt, in 1904.
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Bibliographic References
SILVA, Marcelo Cândido Da. Medieval History. 1. ed. São Paulo:Context, 2019. 115-135 p. v. 1.