HLTB21H3 Chapter 4: Plagues Chapter 4
Document Summary
Chapter four: an ancient plague, the black death. During the last 2000 years three great bubonic plague pandemics resulted in social and economic upheavals: unmatched by those caused by any arm conflict. The black death, put an end to the rise in human population. It took more than 150 years for the population to return to its former size. The black death allowed europeans to restructure their society along very different paths. It was a contagious disease from person to person cause was not identified then. Today we know the source of the second plague: microbes left over from the first pandemic (the justinian plague), which moved in voles, marmots and black rats. The rats boarded ships and moved from port to port in various countries. Contagious nature of plague led to the belief of total isolation of sick. More effective measuers included burning of clothing and bedding and burying the dead in shallow graves.
