Black Death

• The Black Death killed about one-third to two-thirds of the population.
• Disease was caused by the pathogen Yersinia Pestis that was passed by a bite of a flea on rat
• People thought it was caused by:

  God punishing them for their sins

  Miasma-bad smelling air

  Movement of planets
• Attempts to cure/treat the disease were:

  Priests urged people to pray for forgiveness

  Flagellants whipped themselves

  Balancing the 4 humours by bloodletting
• People placed posies of sweet smelling flowers to get rid of miasma
• King Edward III ordered the mayor of london to clean the city streets.
• The goverment did very little to deal with the disease
• After the Black death there were some attempts to improve public health such as:

  London built a jetty out into the thames to get rid of carcasses could be taken away by boat

  in 1415 the mayor reordered the rebuidling of a latrine in Moorgate that had been spilling out causing miasma