Black Death: Welcome to Hell. Where is the plague, smallpox, cholera, typhus, leprosy now? Why was the disease called the black death?

By 1347, black rats with their deadly "passengers" reached the Crimean peninsula. They came there, as they say, at a "lucky hour." At that time, the port of Kaffa (modern Feodosia), which belonged to the Genoese, was besieged by the Tatar Khan Janibek Kipchak.

Plague doctor in the Middle Ages. (homsk.com)

Suddenly, an unknown disease began to mow down his huge army. This is how Gabriel de Moussis, who happened to be in Kaffa at that time, described it: “Countless hordes of Tatars and Saracens suddenly fell victim to an unknown disease. The entire Tatar army was struck by the disease. Thousands died every day… The advice and help of doctors did not help…”.

The angry Tatar Khan, however, was not going to turn off the siege. Instead, he ordered to load throwing weapons with corpses and throw them at the city. Thousands of infected bodies flew to Kaffa. Death reigned in the city. Realizing that they would not be able to resist, the Genoese sailors in a panic loaded onto ships and set off for Italy. They had no idea then that they had become a kind of conductors of death. Together with them, on ships, hordes of rats and fleas rushed to the Apennine shores. But not only the Genoese brought the plague to Europe. They were accompanied by the crusaders, who picked her up in Sicily.

The main carriers of bubonic plague were fleas on black rats.

Soon all of Italy was under the hood of death. By the beginning of 1348, the "Great Plague" was already raging on the territory of neighboring states, and even "knocked" on England. From there, on "travelers" - Norwegian sailors - the plague reached the shores of Iceland and even Greenland.In just a couple of years, the population of the Apennine Peninsula has decreased by more than 2 times. In London, 9 out of 10 citizens died, and the Germans thinned out by about 1,200,000 people.

All circles of hell

The infected had to go through before they died. In the work of Johannes Nol "The Black Death" there is a description of the disease: "Infected people experienced pain penetrating the whole body, as if undermining them from the inside. Then a blister developed on the thighs or forearms ... From it, the infection spread throughout the body and penetrated so deeply into it that the patients vomited blood. So ... it went on without a break for three days, there were no means to cure the disease, and the patient burned out.

European city in the midst of an epidemic. (mzstatic.com)

People were slowly but surely going crazy. Here is another excerpt from the Black Death: “Not only those who communicated with the sick died, but also those who only touched or used their things. Soon people hated each other to such an extent that when the son fell ill, the father stopped caring for him. If he nevertheless dared to approach him, he immediately became infected and burned out within three days ... "

Doctors in bird masks instilled fear in people

Despite prayers, the papal residence of Clement VI in France, the city of Avignon, was also infected. This is how George Prior described the events in his book “The Black Death of 1347”: “Half, and maybe more than half of the population of Avignon is already dead. Within the city walls, more than 7,000 houses are locked: no one lives in them, those who once lived there have died; you can hardly meet a living person in the vicinity. The field near the Miraculous Madonna was purchased by the pope and consecrated as a cemetery. Since March 13, 11,000 corpses have been buried in it ... ".

Plague doctor outfit. (infourok.ru)

But the pope himself survived, because he was surrounded by huge fires that burned day and night.

Doctors and charlatans tried to somehow help people. But the Aesculapius were helpless. Moreover, they only contributed to the spread of horror and fear because of their masks in the form of a bird's beak. There they placed a special mixture of herbs and garlic. It was believed that this could protect the healer from illness.

But they, of course, performed a wide variety of experiments on the infected. For example, some people broadcast bags with human waste products around their necks. Others advised to swim in them. Well, others planted leeches on open wounds, applied dried frogs and lizards. The foreheads of the sick were poured with the blood of animals and birds.

Guy de Chauliac cauterized wounds with a red-hot poker

The only doctor who somehow managed to resist the disease was the Frenchman Guy de Chauliac. He cauterized open wounds with a red-hot poker. And if the patient did not go crazy with pain, and his heart did not stop, then he could well survive.

Desperate people, seeing the impotence of doctors and clergymen, rushed to the grave. Some of them began to turn to sorcerers and magicians for help, others became devil worshipers, and still others simply looked for "scapegoats".

It was because of them that the flames of anti-Semitism flared up in Europe. Because one of the Jews, under torture, "confessed" that he had contaminated the water in the wells. Only in 1348 in France several of their settlements were cut to the root. Crazed with fear, people spared no one.

Burial of plague victims. (mtdata.ru)

From there, the flame spread to other states. During the year, more than five dozen large Jewish communities and several hundred smaller ones disappeared from the earth.

But in parallel with this, a sensible idea was born in someone's head - to quarantine all incoming ships. For 40 days the ships were anchored in the port. This method proved to be effective. The plague in the cities ceased to spread at lightning speed. True, most often, after 40 days, the ships turned out to be completely empty.

The "Great Plague" disappeared as suddenly as it appeared. Then, the bubonic plague appeared several more times, but it raged not so much. But the inhabitants of Europe completely got rid of it only in the middle of the 17th century, when soap and water became an indispensable attribute of any home.

IN XI in Europe the population began to grow rapidly. TO XIV it was impossible for a century to feed everyone enough. More or less cultivable lands were used. Bad harvest years happened more and more often, as the climate of Europe began to change - there were great colds and frequent rains. Hunger did not leave the cities and villages, the population suffered. But that wasn't the worst. The weakened population often fell ill. IN 1347 the most terrible epidemic began.

Came to Sicily and ships from the eastern countries. In their holds they carried black rats, which became the main source of the deadly type of plague. A terrible disease began to spread instantly throughout Western Europe. Everywhere people started dying. Some patients died in long agony, while others instantly. The places of mass congestion - the cities - suffered the most. Sometimes there were no people there to bury the dead. For 3 years, the European population has decreased by 3 times. Frightened people fled faster from the cities and spread the plague even more. That period of history is called the time "Black Death".

The plague did not disassemble either kings or slaves. Europe was divided into borders, to somehow reduce the spread of the disease.

IN 1346 year the Genoese attacked modern Feodosia. Used for the first time in history biological weapons. The Crimean Khan threw the corpses of plague victims behind the besieged walls. The Genoese were forced to return to Constantinople, carrying with them a terrible murder weapon. Nearly half of the city's population perished.

European merchants, in addition to expensive goods from Constantinople, brought the plague. Rat fleas were the main carriers of a terrible disease. The port cities were the first to take the hit. Their numbers have drastically decreased.

The sick were treated by the monks, who, according to the will of the service, should have helped the suffering. It was among the clergy and monks that there were the most massive deaths. Believers began to panic: if the servants of God are dying from the plague, so what should the common people do? People considered it a punishment of God.

The Black Death plague took three forms:

Bubonic plague- tumors appeared on the neck, in the groin and armpit. Their size could reach a small apple. The buboes began to turn black and after 3-5 days the patient died. This was the first form of the plague.

Pneumonic plague The person's respiratory system suffered. It was transmitted by airborne droplets. The patient died almost instantly - within two days.

septic plague- the circulatory system was affected. The patient had no chance of survival. He started bleeding from the mouth and nose.

Doctors and ordinary people could not understand what was happening. Fear set in panic. No one understood how he contracted the Black Disease. At the first couple of the dead, they were buried in the church and buried in an individual grave. Later the churches were closed and the graves became common. But they were instantly filled with corpses. The dead people were simply thrown out into the street.

In these terrible times, marauders decided to profit. But they also became infected and died within a few days.

Residents of cities and villages were afraid of getting infected and closed in their homes. The number of people able to work was decreasing. They sowed little and harvested even less. To compensate for losses, landowners began to overestimate land rent. Food prices have risen sharply. Neighboring countries were afraid to trade with each other. A poor diet favored the spread of the plague even more.

The peasants tried to work only for themselves or demanded a large payment for their work. The nobility was in great need of manpower. Historians believe that the plague revived the middle class in Europe. New technologies and methods of work began to appear: an iron plow, a three-field sowing system. In Europe, a new economic revolution began in the face of famine, epidemics and food shortages. The top leadership began to look at the common people differently.

The mood of the population has also changed. People became more withdrawn, avoided neighbors. After all, anyone could get sick. Cynicism develops, and mores have changed to the opposite. There were no feasts and balls. Some lost heart and spent the rest of their lives in taverns.

The society was divided. Some in fear refused a large inheritance. Others considered the plague a finger of fate and began a righteous life. Still others became real recluses and did not communicate with anyone. The rest were saved by good booze and fun.

The common people began to look for the guilty. They became Jews and foreigners. The mass extermination of Jewish and foreign families began.

But after 4 years The Black Death plague in Europe subsided in the 14th century. Periodically, she returned to Europe, but did not bring mass losses. Today man has conquered the plague completely!

The "Black Death" is the most terrible epidemic known in history, which spread in Europe in the period 1347-1351. It is generally accepted that this was an outbreak of bubonic and pneumonic plague. For more than three centuries, the disease again and again came to the European continent, however, later epidemics were no longer so devastating.

In ancient times, the word "plague" ("pestis" in Latin, "loimos" in Greek) meant any epidemic in general, a disease that is accompanied by fever or fever. For example, the "plague" that struck Athens at the start of the Peloponnesian War and killed Pericles was, according to the description of the historian Thucydides, typhoid fever.

In the VI century. in Europe there was an epidemic of a disease called the plague, the so-called Plague of Justinian. Local outbreaks were sometimes observed in different countries. But in 1346-1347. on the territory including the lower reaches of the Volga, the Northern Caspian, the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Crimea, the Eastern spurs of the Carpathians, the Black Sea, the Near and Middle East, Asia Minor, the Balkans, Sicily, Rhodes, Cyprus, Malta, Sardinia, Corsica, North Africa, south of the Iberian peninsula, the mouth of the Rhone, the activation of natural foci of the plague began.

It was believed that the beginning of the epidemic of the XIV century. put the siege of the Genoese fortress of Kafa (modern Feodosia) in the Crimea by Khan Dzhanibek. The disease struck the besiegers, and then they began to throw the corpses of the dead into the city with catapules. In fact, as researchers now think, the episode with the siege of Kafa could not have greatly influenced the spread of the disease. By that time, the plague was already raging in Asia, and the merchants of the Great Silk Road inevitably spread it throughout the vast continent. Already in May 1347 in Paris they knew about the epidemic in the countries of Asia and Eastern Europe. Terrible and unexpected were many symptoms of the disease. With bubonic plague, patients developed tumors in the lymph nodes - buboes, with a pulmonary form, hemoptysis began. All this was supplemented by a rash, nausea, vomiting, fever. And if a person who fell ill with the bubonic form could recover, then everyone died from the pneumonic plague.

The Genoese, who managed to escape to the West, spread the plague throughout Europe. In 1347, the epidemic swept through Constantinople, Greece, Sicily and Dalmatia. In June 1348 it spread to France and Spain, and in the fall to England and Ireland. In 1349, the disease swept through Germany, Scandinavia, Iceland and even Greenland. In 1352, the epidemic came to Rus'. In total, at least 25 million Europeans have died over the years. People then considered the cause of the plague harmful fumes, miasma, spoiled air. However, they also understood the danger of infection, so quarantines were arranged.

But the disease did not stop the development of European civilization. The old states have survived, the old conflicts have continued. In the most terrible years, Petrarch traveled around Italy, dreaming of the return of the ancient heritage and becoming the forerunner of the Renaissance, and Bocaccio wrote his Decameron, imbued with the ideas of humanism and the pursuit of love and happiness.

What could have caused this epidemic? Expansion of the steppe zone, and, consequently, the resettlement of rodents - carriers of the disease? Indeed, in Rus' the first years of the XIV century were dry, in 1308 an invasion of rodents was observed everywhere, accompanied by pestilence and famine. But the Black Death came forty years later, and in the last years before the epidemic, the weather in southern Europe was warm and damp. Frequent floods, snowy winters, rainy summer months - the steppe could not grow in such conditions.

Most of the reports of plague involving the lungs concerned the northern countries (England, Norway, Russia). And, probably, during the Black Death pandemic, secondary pneumonic plague prevailed, developing as a complication of bubonic plague.

But the bubonic plague does not go beyond its natural foci, does not spread in the North, it could not so quickly cover the whole of Europe. In 1997, the Nobel Prize winner in biochemistry, J. Lederberg, suggested that the clinical picture of the disease that had spread then was “tailored” to the plague clinic. The monstrous mortality of the population of Europe during the first epidemics of the Black Death was not characteristic of any of the subsequent epidemics. Lederberg doubts that the Black Death is the plague. There is also a hypothesis that some other factors influenced human susceptibility to the plague. They even call AIDS, but it is worth remembering that since the 11th century leprosy and smallpox have become more active in Europe.

Epidemics continued into the next century, but pneumonic plague was replaced by a less dangerous bubonic form of the disease.

The last outbreaks in Western Europe occurred in England in 1665, Vienna in 1683. In London, the epidemic ended with the “great fire” of 1666. The city center was rebuilt, and Londoners believed that this was why the city no longer suffered from the plague. But the fire left intact the overcrowded suburbs that had been hotbeds of the plague in earlier years. Subsequent outbreaks of the disease occurred farther and farther from the center of Europe. It almost looked as if the European countries were developing some form of defense that kept the infection at bay. In the north, the plague retreated east; in the Mediterranean, it went south. And each time, the areas where the disease spread became smaller and smaller, although people traveled more and more.

In the XVIII century. in Europe, black rats - carriers of the plague were replaced by gray rats. Perhaps this is what led to the attenuation of epidemics. But in the XVIII century. gray rats advanced into Europe from east to west, and the plague receded from west to east. Maybe the black rats developed a resistance to the plague and spread to their entire population. But this is unlikely. Perhaps a new strain of plague bacteria had emerged that proved to be less contagious and dangerous than the earlier one. It is possible that some pathogens worked as vaccines, causing relative immunity in animals and humans to a more dangerous strain of these bacteria.

Or, most likely, some sort of natural selection took place, people who were immune to the plague survived and passed this property on to their descendants. In any case, the search for a clue to the "black death" can lead to many interesting discoveries in medicine and help people fight infectious diseases.

The topic of this article is very broad and ambiguous. This phenomenon can certainly become the main competitor of the Second World War for the title of the most effective cleaner of the human gene pool in history. So, the plague.

First, it is necessary to say about the general clinic of the plague. For some reason, it is still extremely common that plague is only transmitted through the bites of infected fleas. But in general, this applies only to the local form of the plague, and inflammatory or septic is also transmitted by airborne droplets and contact.

How did the plague

The plague originated in the Gobi desert in the remote steppes of Kazakhstan, essentially by chance. The plague virus penetrated from unicellular organisms into the soil and plants, and from there inevitably into the steppe rodents. The first plague pandemic began in the second half of the 6th century and was named after the greatest ruler of his time, who died from it - the Justinian plague. It began in Byzantine Egypt. Historical sources claim that it claimed about 100 million people throughout the empire and about 25 million people in Europe. In general, this epidemic reached Britain itself. On this account, there is an assumption that she was one of the factors that facilitated the conquest of England by the Saxons. In addition, the plague of Justinian was one of the reasons why Byzantium had to stop its conquests in the east.

Around the same time, the Christian church celebrates the final victory over common sense. The fact is that before the split of the church, the so-called Ecumenical Councils took place, something like the modern G20 congress. Basically, they solved subtle issues regarding church law. Just then, all sorts of prohibitions appeared on normal hygiene and, of course, on close contacts with Jews.

Black Death in Western Europe

Now fast forward to the 14th century. It is this era that appears before the mind's eye of most of us when pronouncing the phrase "black in Europe." The pandemic peaked in 1346-1352, taking (again) 25 million people. That was one third of the total population of Europe. But do not think that everything was done only in Europe. Also, do not think that then it was the only global catastrophe. For example, here is a brief digest of the catastrophes of the 14th century.

The famous 100 Years War is going on between England and France.
In Italy, there is a rather tough squabble between the Guelfis and the Gebellins - supporters of the Pope and the German Emperor.
In Rus', the Tatar-Mongol yoke is established
In Spain, the reconquista, feudal and wars are in full swing.

Well, besides the political hell, there was also a climatic hell:

There was an expansion of the steppe zones, which increased the number of carriers of infection.
There was less food. Almost the entire previous (XIII) century is characterized by powerful droughts.
Greenland, due to the growth of ice, the settlements of the Vikings almost completely disappear.
The so-called "Little Ice Age" begins.
Frequent and strong earthquakes occur in the Himalayas
Numerous volcanoes are active in India
In Rus' in the XIV century dry years, the invasion of rodents and famine.
In China, in the 30-40s of the XIV century, powerful seismic activity begins, leading to the collapse of some mountain ranges and to very strong floods and, accordingly, to famine. In one of these floods alone, which hit the capital of the Middle Kingdom, about 400,000 people died.
You can also remember the eruption of Etna in 1333 and the subsequent increase in humidity, as a result of which many cities of Western Europe were flooded due to heavy rains.
There have been several major locust outbreaks in Germany
Across Europe, there is an increase in the number of cases of attacks by wild animals due to starvation.
Very cold winters and a major flood in 1354 that literally devastated the shores of the North Sea.
It was also noted that the epidemic of the plague was preceded by the extremely widespread distribution of smallpox and leprosy, and the 14th century was no exception.

As you can see, the plague was not the only problem of that era. In addition, there were outbreaks of mass mental illness everywhere. By the way, there is one very interesting hypothesis on this score.

Mass insanity and psychotropic substances

American explorer Shane Rogers and his team decided to explore the most popular places on the planet among ghost hunters. Not even just points, but the so-called haunted houses, and in so many places they found the presence of a dangerous mold that can cause a psychotropic effect. Here the idea was born that psychotropic substances can be a strong enough catalyst for the formation of ideas about the supernatural. The same researchers also thought that agricultural technology could only relatively recently get rid of ergot living on cereals (it was from ergot that Albert Hoffmann synthesized the famous one). Therefore, ergot poisoning among peasants in the Middle Ages was a fairly common occurrence, and this can explain both ergotism and massive crazy dances and much more. This hypothesis has its own logical holes and its own logical patches that these holes close, so it is ultimately up to you to believe it or not.

Again about the plague

But back to the plague. Incompetent medicine and the almost complete lack of hygiene encouraged by the Catholic Church were the main factors in the rapid spread of the plague. Although in the Orthodox tradition there is a strange habit of kissing the same icon during mass epidemics.

In addition, sometimes the very fact of infection was hidden for various reasons, and the already blazing epidemic was learned only after several deaths. Once in Ovignon, the plague became known only when 700 monks died in one night in one of the monasteries.

There is also a "beautiful story" about Khan Dzhanibek, or rather about his Tatar army and their biological weapons. For example, when besieging the city of Kafu, they threw plague corpses at it with the help of catapults. Previously, there was a popular version that this was the beginning of the European pandemic, but now this hypothesis is recognized as extremely unconvincing. The version is usually recognized that the plague entered Europe through the main trade routes from the territory of Italy, Byzantium and Spain.

It is impossible not to mention how the plague was perceived in the XIV century and how they tried to treat it. Medieval medicine could offer innovative methods such as:

Attempts to absorb poisonous miasms in an infected room with an onion lying on the floor.
Walking the streets with flowers
Wearing pouches containing human feces around the neck
Classic bloodletting
Insertion of needles into testicles
Sprinkling foreheads with the blood of slaughtered puppies and pigeons
Tinctures of garlic and cabbage juice (which, against the general background, looks somehow too harmless)
Kindling fires to clean the air from infection
Collecting human gases in jars.
Red-hot iron (the only method that somehow helped) plague buboes were cut and cauterized, if a person experienced this, he could have a chance to cope with the disease.

But the most effective was the formula “cito, longe, tarde” – “Quickly, far away, for a long time” to get out of the area of infection somewhere far away.

plague doctors

Separately, it is worth mentioning the bright characters of this era, who have already managed to become part of the mass media - plague doctors. They were paid 4 times more than ordinary doctors, despite the fact that many of them had no education at all (they were politely called empiricists). Mortuses became no less important characters on the streets of medieval plague cities - people who had been ill with the plague or simply criminals who were not sorry. They were mostly engaged in cleaning up corpses. also had a cultural side effect.

First of all, this is a rapid increase in the number of flagellants (from the Latin Flagellare - to beat, flog, torment). Apparently, it seemed to many that self-flagellation is a great way to cope with the gray (black?) Plague medieval everyday life. Religious hysteria and ideas about the approaching apocalypse are still worth arriving here. Distilled alcohol has also become insanely popular. Firstly, it was a good antiseptic, and secondly, at such times it is probably difficult not to drink.

Jewish conspiracy

Of course, one cannot fail to mention the Jewish conspiracy theory, which flourished in those years. Hysteria about the Jews and their pogroms are back in vogue. And after she forced confessions from several dozen suspects that they poisoned the wells, everything generally became bad. During this period, the Jewish conspiracy became trendy again throughout Europe.

(Suddenly) good sides. In Europe, a lot of cheap land and real estate appeared because less demand is cheaper than supply. Well, in the end, for centuries to come, mankind had a gloomy source of inspiration. A lot of stupid legends and superstitions are still associated with the plague.

Case in Nagorno-Karabakh

A plague epidemic broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh and someone began to dig up fresh plague burials. An investigation was carried out and as it turned out, there was some kind of local belief that explained that if family members begin to die one by one, you need to dig up the very first deceased and eat his heart and

The bubonic plague claimed the lives of 60 million people. At the same time, in some regions the number of deaths reached two-thirds of the population. Due to the unpredictability of the disease, as well as the impossibility at that time to cure it, religious ideas began to flourish among people. Belief in a higher power has become commonplace. At the same time, the persecution of the so-called "poisoners", "witches", "sorcerers" began, which, according to religious fanatics, sent an epidemic to people.

This period has remained in history as a time of impatient people who were struck by fear, hatred, mistrust and numerous superstitions. In fact, there is, of course, a scientific explanation for the outbreak of bubonic plague.

The myth of the bubonic plague

When historians were looking for ways to spread the disease to Europe, they settled on the opinion that the plague appeared in Tatarstan. More precisely, it was brought by the Tatars.

In 1348, the Crimean Tatars, led by Khan Dzhanybek, during the siege of the Genoese fortress of Kafa (Feodosia), threw there the corpses of people who had previously died from the plague. After the liberation, the Europeans began to leave the city, spreading the disease throughout Europe.

But the so-called "plague in Tatarstan" turned out to be nothing more than the speculation of people who do not know how to explain the sudden and deadly outbreak of the "black death".

The theory was defeated as it became known that the pandemic is not transmitted between people. It could be infected from small rodents or insects.

Such a "general" theory existed for quite a long time and contained many mysteries. In fact, the plague epidemic of the 14th century, as it turned out later, began for several reasons.

Natural causes of the pandemic

In addition to dramatic climate change in Eurasia, the bubonic plague outbreak was preceded by several other environmental factors. Among them:

global drought in China followed by massive famine;
mass locust infestation in Henan province;
rains and hurricanes dominated Beijing for a long time.

Like the "Plague of Justinian", as the first pandemic in history is called, the "Black Death" overtook people after massive natural disasters. She even went the same way as her predecessor.

The decrease in the immunity of people, provoked by an environmental factor, has led to a massive incidence. The catastrophe reached such proportions that the heads of the churches had to open rooms for the sick population.

The plague in the Middle Ages also had socio-economic preconditions.

Socio-economic causes of bubonic plague

Natural factors could not provoke such a serious outbreak on their own. They were supported by the following socio-economic prerequisites:

military operations in France, Spain, Italy;
the domination of the Mongol-Tatar yoke over part of Eastern Europe;
increased trade;
rapidly growing poverty;
too high population density.

Another important factor that provoked the invasion of the plague was the belief that implied that healthy believers should wash as little as possible. According to the saints of that time, the contemplation of one's own naked body leads a person into temptation. Some followers of the church were so imbued with this opinion that they never immersed themselves in water even once in their entire conscious life.

Europe in the 14th century was not considered a pure power. The population did not follow the disposal of garbage. Waste was thrown directly from the windows, slops and the contents of chamber pots were poured onto the road, and the blood of livestock flowed there. All this later ended up in the river, from which people took water for cooking and even drinking.

Like the Plague of Justinian, the Black Death was caused by large numbers of rodents that lived in close contact with humans. In the literature of that time, you can find many entries on what to do in the event of an animal bite. As you know, rats and marmots are carriers of the disease, so people were terribly afraid of even one of their species. In an effort to overcome rodents, many have forgotten about everything, including their family.

How it all began

The point of origin of the disease was the Gobi Desert. Where is the place, which was the immediate focus, is unknown. It is assumed that the Tatars who lived nearby declared a hunt for marmots, which are carriers of the plague. The meat and fur of these animals were highly valued. Under such conditions, infection was inevitable.

Many rodents, due to drought and other negative weather conditions, left their shelters and moved closer to people, where more food could be found.

Hebei Province in China was the first to be hit. At least 90% of the population died there. This is another reason that gave rise to the opinion that the Tatars provoked the outbreak of the plague. They could lead the disease along the well-known Silk Road.

Then the plague reached India, after which it moved to Europe. Surprisingly, only one source of that time mentions the true nature of the disease. It is believed that people were struck by the bubonic form of the plague.

In countries that were not affected by the pandemic, real panic arose in the Middle Ages. The heads of state sent messengers for information about the disease and forced specialists to invent a cure for it. The population of some states, remaining in ignorance, willingly believed the rumors that snakes were raining on the infected lands, a fiery wind was blowing, and acid balls were falling from the sky.

Modern characteristics of bubonic plague

Low temperatures, a long stay outside the host's body, thawing cannot destroy the Black Death pathogen. But against it, solar exposure and drying are effective.

Plague symptoms in humans

Bubonic plague begins to develop from the moment you are bitten by an infected flea. Bacteria enter the lymph nodes and begin their vital activity. Suddenly, a person is overcome by chills, his body temperature rises, the headache becomes unbearable, and facial features become unrecognizable, black spots appear under the eyes. On the second day after infection, the bubo itself appears. This is the name of the enlarged lymph node.

A person infected with the plague can be identified immediately. "Black Death" is a disease that changes the face and body beyond recognition. Blisters become noticeable already on the second day, and the general condition of the patient cannot be called adequate.

The symptoms of plague in a person of the Middle Ages are surprisingly different from those of a modern patient.

Clinical picture of the bubonic plague of the Middle Ages

"Black Death" is a disease that in the Middle Ages was identified by such signs:

severe fever, chills;
aggressiveness;
continuous feeling of fear;
severe pain in the chest;
dyspnea;
cough with bloody secretions;
blood and waste products became black;
a dark coating could be seen on the tongue;
ulcers and buboes arising on the body exuded an unpleasant odor;
clouding of consciousness.

These symptoms were seen as a sign of imminent and imminent death. If a person received such a sentence, he already knew that he had very little time left. No one tried to deal with such symptoms, they were considered the will of God and the church.

Treatment of bubonic plague in the Middle Ages

Medieval medicine was far from ideal. The doctor who came to see the patient paid more attention to talking about whether he confessed than to the treatment itself. This was due to the religious insanity of the population. The salvation of the soul was considered a much more important task than the healing of the body. Accordingly, surgical intervention was practically not practiced.

The methods of treating plague were as follows:

cutting tumors and cauterizing them with a red-hot iron;
use of antidotes;
applying reptile skin to buboes;
pulling out the disease with the help of magnets.

At the same time, medieval medicine was not hopeless. Some doctors of that time advised patients to eat well and wait until the body copes with the plague on its own. This is the most adequate theory of treatment. Of course, in the conditions of that time, cases of recovery were isolated, but still they took place.

Only mediocre doctors or young people who wanted to gain fame in an extremely risky way were taken for the treatment of the disease. They wore a mask that looked like a bird's head with a pronounced beak. However, such protection did not save everyone, so many doctors died after their patients.

The authorities of the powers advised people to adhere to the following methods of dealing with the epidemic:

Escape for a long distance. At the same time, it was necessary to overcome as many kilometers as possible very quickly. It was necessary to stay at a safe distance from the disease as long as possible.
Through the infected places to drive herds of horses. It was believed that the breath of these animals purifies the air. For the same purpose, it was advised to let various insects into the houses. In a room where a person recently died of the plague, a saucer of milk was placed, because it was believed that it absorbs the disease. Also popular were methods such as breeding spiders in the house and burning a large number of fires near the living quarters.
Do whatever is necessary to kill the smell of the plague. It was believed that if a person does not feel the stench coming from infected people, he is sufficiently protected. That is why many carried bouquets of flowers with them.

Doctors also advised not to sleep after dawn, not to have an intimate relationship and not to think about the epidemic and death. Today, this approach seems crazy, but in the Middle Ages, people found solace in it.

Of course, religion was an important factor influencing life during the epidemic.

Religion during the bubonic plague

"Black Death" is a disease that frightened people with its obscurity. Therefore, against this background, various religious beliefs arose:

Plague is a punishment for ordinary human sins, disobedience, bad attitude towards loved ones, the desire to succumb to temptations.
The plague arose as a result of the neglect of faith.
The epidemic began due to the fact that shoes with pointed toes came into fashion, which greatly angered God.

Priests who were obliged to listen to the confessions of dying people often became infected and died. Therefore, often the cities were left without church ministers, because they were afraid for their lives.

Against the backdrop of a tense situation, various groups or sects appeared, each of which in its own way explained the cause of the epidemic. In addition, various superstitions were widespread among the population, which were considered pure truth.

Superstitions during the bubonic plague

In any, even the most insignificant event, during the epidemic, people saw peculiar signs of fate. Some superstitions were quite surprising:

If a completely naked woman plows the land around the house, and the rest of the family at this time will be indoors, the plague will leave nearby places.
If you make a scarecrow symbolizing the plague and burn it, the disease will recede.
To prevent the disease from attacking, you need to carry silver or mercury with you.

Many legends were formed around the image of the plague. People really believed in them. They were afraid to once again open the door of their house, so as not to let the plague spirit inside. Even native people swore among themselves, each sought to save himself and only himself.

The situation in society

Oppressed and frightened people over time came to the conclusion that the plague was spread by the so-called outcasts who wished the death of the entire population. The pursuit of the suspects began. They were forcibly dragged to the infirmary. Many of the people identified as suspects have committed suicide. A suicide epidemic has hit Europe. The problem has reached such proportions that the authorities have threatened those who commit suicide to put their corpses on public display.

Since many people were sure that they had very little time left to live, they indulged in all serious things: they were addicted to alcohol, they were looking for entertainment with women of easy virtue. This lifestyle further intensified the epidemic.

The pandemic has reached such proportions that the corpses were taken out at night, dumping them in special pits and burying them.

Sometimes it happened that plague patients appeared in society on purpose, trying to infect as many enemies as possible. It was also due to the fact that it was believed that the plague would recede if it was passed on to another.

In the atmosphere of that time, any person who, by any sign, stood out from the crowd, could be considered a poisoner.

Consequences of the Black Death

The Black Death had significant consequences in all spheres of life. The most significant of them:

The ratio of blood groups has changed significantly.
Instability in the political sphere of life.
Many villages were deserted.
The beginning of feudal relations was laid. Many people in whose workshops their sons worked were forced to hire outside craftsmen.
Since there were not enough male labor resources to work in the production sector, women began to master this type of activity.
Medicine has moved to a new stage of development. All sorts of diseases began to be studied and cures for them were invented.
The servants and the lower strata of the population, due to the lack of people, began to demand a better position for themselves. Many insolvent people turned out to be heirs of rich deceased relatives.
Attempts were made to mechanize production.
Housing and rent prices have dropped significantly.
The self-consciousness of the population, which did not want to blindly obey the government, grew at a tremendous pace. This resulted in various riots and revolutions.
Significantly weakened the influence of the church on the population. People saw the helplessness of the priests in the fight against the plague, they stopped trusting them. Rituals and beliefs previously forbidden by the church came into use again. The age of "witches" and "sorcerers" began. The number of priests has dropped significantly. These positions were often filled with people who were uneducated and unsuitable for their age. Many did not understand why death takes away not only criminals, but also good, kind people. In this regard, Europe doubted the power of God.
After such a large-scale pandemic, the plague did not completely leave the population. Periodically, epidemics broke out in different cities, taking the lives of people with them.

Today, many researchers doubt that the second pandemic proceeded precisely in the form of bubonic plague.

Opinions on the second pandemic

There are doubts that the "black death" is a synonym for the period of prosperity of the bubonic plague. There are explanations for this:

Plague patients rarely reported symptoms such as fever and sore throat. However, modern scholars note that there are many errors in the narratives of that time. Moreover, some works are fictional and contradict not only other stories, but also themselves.
The third pandemic was able to defeat only 3% of the population, while the "black death" mowed down at least a third of Europe. But this also has an explanation. During the second pandemic, terrible unsanitary conditions were observed, causing more problems than illness.
The buboes arising from the defeat of a person were located under the armpits and in the neck. It would be logical if they appeared on the legs, since it is there that the flea is easiest to get. However, this fact is not perfect either. It turns out that along with the rat flea, the human louse is the spreader of the plague. And there were many such insects in the Middle Ages.
Usually epidemics are preceded by a mass death of rats. This phenomenon was not observed in the Middle Ages. This fact can also be disputed, given the presence of human lice.
The flea, which is the carrier of the disease, feels best in warm and humid climates. The pandemic flourished even in the coldest winters.
The spread of the epidemic was at a record high.

As a result of the research, it was found that the genome of modern plague strains is identical to the disease of the Middle Ages, which proves that it was the bubonic form of the pathology that became the "black death" for people of that time. Therefore, any other opinions are automatically moved to the wrong category. But a more detailed study of the issue is still ongoing.