The+Black+Plague

The Black Plague

The Black Plague was and will always be one of the most horrific, deadly epidemics in the history of the world. This plague resulted in the deaths of an estimated 75 million human beings around the world. 20 million of them being from Europe alone, which was almost one-third of the population. Most experts believe that The Black Plague originated in Central Asia. It is thought to have traveled throughout Europe and many other continents and countries along the Silk Road. The Silk Road was a major trading route from 114 BC to 1450 AD and was a big factor in the development of India, Persia, Europe, and Arabia. From the Silk Road, the plague reached Crimea in 1314. From Crimea, the plague was spread to rat fleas which spread the disease to rats which regularly traveled on merchant ships which traveled throughout the Mediterranean. When the plague got to Europe it is thought to have killed 30-60% of the entire population. By the fourteenth century the plague brought the entire world population down to 365 million from 450 million, which the population did not recover from until the 17th century. The plague hit Europe the hardest out of all of the countries it hit. In October of 1347, the plague hit Sicily and spread across the entire island. In January of 1348, there was an outbreak in Pisa, Italy and that created the entry for the plague into northern Italy. From there the disease spread throughout Europe, hitting France, England, Portugal and Spain by June of 1348. It then spread through Scandinavia and Germany from 1348 all the way until 1350. Finally in 1349 the plague was introduced into Norway and then Russia in 1351. The Black Plague's symptoms were terrifying and very painful for whoever encountered them. The most obvious symptom of the Black Plague was acral gangrene of the fingers. The gangrene causes the flesh on the fingers to die and turn black, which is how the Plague got its name. Another symptom was swollen lymph glands on the upper thighs, neck, armpit, and groin. When the swollen glands were opened, they bled and pus came out of them. Those symptoms were all followed by high fevers and vomiting blood. Most hosts of the plague died 2 days to a week after the infection began. Throughout the entire world, 75 million people were killed by the horrendous disease. Each country that the Plague attacked had a devastating decrease in population. In Egypt, 40% of the population was wiped out, in Paris it was half of the population. In Florence, Italy the population went from 120 thousand to a very low 50 thousand. In London it was almost 60% of the entire population. To house all of the deceased, mass burial pits were created, although some individuals were buried in isolated graves. The entire world was affected by the Black Plague throughout the years that it went on. This disease affected many, and killed many more. The years that this pandemic went on were some of the worlds worst years. Due to the lack of advanced medicine the disease was mostly fatal. If something like The Black Plague were to occur today, the world would be better prepared and more able to control it as soon as it hit. Unfortunately that's not how it was back in the 13th century and millions had to die, because of it. The hope is that our world will never have to face something as powerful and deadly as The Black Plague ever again.