He's got a lot of money. It was one of the worst epidemics in history; the Black Plague hit some villages while skipping over others, but sources report it wiped out a third of Europe's population in a matter of a few years. In turn, all the justices of the county were ordered to meet every three weeks during an outbreak to compile a report on how many had contracted or died from the plague in their county, what towns and villages were affected, how much money they had raised through taxes, and how that money was being spent. The Black Death entered south-western England in Summer 1348 and by all accounts struck Bristol with shocking force. Workers were in high demand and the peasants knew it. Popular medieval scholar Petrarch lost his lady love Laura to Black Death. Doctors and physicians tried to treat the other symptoms that included fever, chills, diarrhoea, vomiting, and aches, but to no avail. They also laid out a groundwork for an effective and coordinated response to the plague. It only took about twenty-three days from the point of infection for the plague to be fatal (Benedictow). The age of Shakespeare was a great time in English history. Does the Black Plague Still Exist? The victims would often die within two to four days. Bloodletting and purgatives to help balance the humors were also favored tactics for Elizabethan doctors in the fight against the plague. While it is true that the living conditions in Europe at this time were not ideal, this was not the real reason for the spread of the disease. Innumerable cows, sheep, pigs, goats, and chickens perished along with people. At this time of desesperation and agony in most homes religion such as Islam and Christianity became the most powerful force in the lives of people. The plague bacillus is carried from rat to rat by the bite of the rat flea. The plague actually began in the Himalayan Mountains of southern Asia in the 1200s. This black plague was spreading almost like a wild forest fire that is unstoppable in nature. It is estimated that 40,000 dogs and 200,000 cats were killed. A supplemental set of directions for worship in the Church of England was released in 1563, mandating that Wednesdays be dedicated to fasting and prayer in times of plague. You should not rely on any The Black Death was not the only pandemic going around Europe, other diseases include syphilis and gonorrhea. Fifteen years after the Elizabethan church instituted its emergency plan for the spiritual health of the realm, Elizabeth and her counselors released a set of seventeen edicts to address and contain the spread of contagion when it appeared. But how much do you know about the Black Plague? Author bio: Michael Lowry Lamble holds an MA in Medieval and Renaissance History from Loyola University Chicago and is currently pursuing an MA in Museology from the University of Washington. Treatment for this dreaded disease during the Middle Ages was vague and clueless. In this system, the lord owned the land in small communities, and the peasants living there farmed the land and gave him a portion of their crops as a form of payment. It is a terrifying disease because sufferers die within hours. We often hear the plague spread due to unhygienic conditions and a surplus of rats in Europe. This tragedy started around 1347 1352 A.D, originating from East Asia or China .This disease was brought by the sea from ships, and on the ship was black rats and fleas were carrying it and it was passed down to the rats. Want to Read. However, the air was not the problem. Looking to physical health, many recommendations from Elizabethan doctors hinged on the theory that disease spread by way of a foul smelling miasma. Even though bubonic plague had existed earlier, namely in parts of Asia, its effects were never as widespread as when it reached Europe through popular trade routes during the mid 1300s. The plague as an actual event figures prominently in only one of Shakespeare's plays. Fleas living on rats that came from Asia on a trade ship spread the bubonic plague, the septicaemic plague is created by the entrance of bacteria from their multiplying place into the blood vessels. The Black Death occurred during the Hundred Years War. London's first cases of plague were noticed in August. The country, before the plague ravaged it, was under the feudal law system. One of the worst outbreaks of smallpox occurred two years before Shakespeare's birth, in 1562. Blood and greenish pus seeped out of them. Some elements of quarantine were introduced but usually by the time that this was instigated the deadly disease had already struck. Today, we know that there were many causes of the Black Death. The Black Death In Elizabethan England 688 Words | 3 Pages. During the mid-fourteenth century, a plague hit Europe. The Elizabethans had no idea that the plague was spread by fleas that had lived on rats; though there were many "cures" for the plague, the only real defense--for those who could afford it--was to leave the crowded, rat-infested cities for the country. By the end of the fourteenth century, the Black Death killed nearly 60% of Europes population. Many such thieves were thrown into the pits, dead or alive, with their victims. Many peasants died from the disease, probably from their poor diets and lack of nourishment. However, Elizabeth had many favourites and close friends who were men, including Robert Dudley, Walter Raleigh, Francis Drake, and Robert Devereux, as well as many prominent suitors, including many . The Great Mortality. As per their analysis, Giant Gerbils (rodents) and their explosive population in Asia along with plague bacteria-infected fleas was the primary source of the airborne disease. BY Brita Voris. Cats and dogs were killed, as it was believed that they might spread the plague. Some measures, like perfume and bloodletting, have ultimately proven to be useless. The terrible outbreak of the Black Death made Medieval people look for a link between health and hygiene. The penalties for this were varied and severe. Elizabethan farmers and retailers of farm produce, such as animal hides, were in constant danger of contracting the Bubonic plague (Black Death) and this was a deadly consequence of their job. The impact of closure must have been extremely frightening, not to mention the threat of the Black Death ( Bubonic Plague ) itself. Other wild theories included divine punishment of the Europeans for their sins, and that the Jewish population was poisoning the water. The 13th century was a grim period in the history of the Middle Ages. Contactus!advertise@facty.com. concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other They had symptoms that included fever, unable to eat, pain that was so bad they became crazy. In fact, it was not even the first. The Black Death spread so quickly due to poor hygiene and overcrowding in major cities. Even the animals could not escape its deathly hold. A famine broke out, and it is now known as the famine before the plague. The period of recurring. Due to the food shortages and closure of businesses those who were not struck down by the Bubonic plague (Black Death) often resorted to stealing from the dead bodies. After 2,000 people died in London in 1528, the Sweat travelled via ship to Hamburg, Germany, where over a thousand deaths occurred in a month. At Bristol, Michael carries pike and shotte and portions out gunpowder. Due to a severe labor shortage, serf survivors were able to demand higher wages and better working conditions from their new landlords. This time was a period of unprecedented prosperity and advances in poetry, music, theater and literature. Many people at the time believed that the Plague was a result of the release of "bad air" from the ground, due to earthquakes nearby. See Also: 10 Facts about Life in Ancient Egypt Facts about Life in Elizabethan England 9: the bread crumbs The reality, as it usually is, was somewhat messier. These rodents spread the Bubonic plague from China to Europe and lastly, it hit Britain in 1348. The bubonic plague, known to most as the Black Death, had such a powerfully negative impact upon the witches and warlocks living during this time. The plague full swift goes by; I am sick, I must die Lord, have mercy on us! Information about the Closure of the Elizabethan Globe Theater due the Black Death or the Bubonic PlagueThere were three very serious outbreaks of the diseasewhich led to the closure of all places of Elizabethan entertainment, including the Globe Theater. Plague is an extremely infectious and vile disease caused by a bacteria known as Yersinia Pestis. Listen Now 1. However, criminal activity by nobles, persecution by lords, war, and disease eventually caused oppressed peasants to revolt. The rodents slowly made their journey to Europe via the Silk Road routes constantly used for trade. Britannica Students Encyclopedia states, Besides providing labor, serfs had to pay taxes to their lord in money or produce. Serfs were forced to do hard labor to earn money and pay the lords. Everyday people struggle with an illness. In response to this, the government passed the Statute of Labourers in 1351 that forced peasants to remain in their homelands and did not allow lords to change their wages from what they were in 1346. The black plague was not only a biological issue but also a mental issue as people then was really panic stricken and did isolate the affected ones. Popular medieval scholar Petrarch lost his lady love Laura to Black Death.Black death timeline. Amidst the consequences suffered by those carrying the disease, came the ramifications that those who were not directly affected experienced. The disease also spread frighteningly quickly, wiping out entire villages before anyone could do anything to stop it. Although this might sound pointless today, these precautions would have protected the Elizabethan Physician. The plague killed more than one hundred million people around the world. Black Death at the Golden Gate: The Race to Save America from the Bubonic Plague (Hardcover) by. Thousands of dead bodies lay waste as no one was there to offer them a proper Christian burial. Soon, one-third of the European population was dead. Theatre was extremely popular and only was stopped due to the Black Plague in the 1590s. But the spread of the disease still continued Information about the Medical Profession during the Elizabethan eraThe Elizabethan churches administered to the Black Death (Bubonic Plague) victims but very little other help was given and food was rarely distributed. Information regarding the handling of the Bubonic plague (Black Death), symptoms, medical treatment and cure used during the Elizabethan era are fully described below. A ship had arrived in Europe with many people that had the Black Death. When, despite the high wages, no new men for this job could be found women and boys, especially those who had recovered from the Bubonic plague (Black Death), were forced to carry out this work. . When Henry VIII began dissolving these religious institutions in 1536, however, sickness and infirmity were not abolished with them, and so English authorities had to find new ways to address public health. In fact, the social law and orders were being violated, the administrative protocols, the dispensational rules could not at all stand firm owing to this crisis that separated families, friends relatives.