The Great Plague

• The Great Plague

  The Great Plague struck London in 1665 and had a devastating impact. From prayers to bloodletting, people's responses to the Great Plague were eerily similar to the reaction to the Black Death
• The Great Plague hit London in 1665

  . In 1665, London was struck by the Great Plague. This was a rare but deadly recurrence of the medieval Black Death

  . London's death toll was about 100000 - this was around 20% of the city's population. Many people fled the city, but only richer people had this option

  . Doctors and priests were often most affected because the sick went to them for help

  (Like the Black Death, the Great Plague was spread by the bites of fleas from rats. The people at the time didn't know this, though.)
• Treatments for the Great Plague

  • Based on magic, religion and superstition
  • Included wearing lucky charms or amulets, saying prayers and fasting
  • Used special remedies made with ingredients like dried toad
  • Bloodletting was still used, even though this probably made the plague worse - it created wounds which could become infected
  • Some thought miasma caused the disease, so they carried around posies of herbs or flowers to improve the air
  • The most extreme treatment was strapping a live chicken to the swellings - people thought the disease could be transferred from the plague victim to the chicken
• Treatments for the Great Plague


  Similar to responses to the Black Death 300 years before
• Superstition still dominated treatment for the Great Plague
• Comment and Analysis


  Living conditions were very poor in Renaissance England, so it isn't a surprise that the plague came back. Death records show that the poorest, most crowded areas of London were worst hit
• People tried to Prevent the plague from Spreading
• Local councils took measures to try to stop the spread of the plague. They were largely ineffective because they didn't know the cause of the disease
• Councils tried to quarantine plague victims


  1. Victim's house was locked

  2. A red cross was painted on the door

  3. The words "Lord have mercy upon us" were added
• People tried not to touch other people

  If someone had to give money in a shop, the coins might be placed in a jar of vinegar
• The dead bodies of plague victims were buried

  1. In mass graves away from houses

  2. Carts organised by the authorities roamed the city to the infamous cry of "bring out your dead!", collecting corpses for burial
• Local councils paid for lots of cats and dogs to be killed


  Because they thought they carried the plague
• The plague gradually began to disappear


  The Great Fire of London in 1666 helped wipe it out, by effectively sterilising large parts of London - it burned down the old, crowded houses, killing the plague bacteria
• Comment and Analysis


  The responses to the plague came from local councils - they did more to try to combat the Great Plague than they had done for the Black Death 300 years previously. But there were no national government attempts at prevention