Causes and Treatments

of the Black Death

 Today we know more about the causes of the
Black Death than they did in the Middle Ages.

The cause of The bacterium that caused the Black Death

was Yersinia pestis, transmitted to humans
the Black from fleas and rats – which was not discovered
Death until the late 1800s.
People during the Middle Ages did not know
why they were dying!
 Belief one: people believed astronomical events (to do
Beliefs with the planets, sun and moon) triggered events on
Earth.
about the
causes of
Read this: "One such event occurred on 20 March 1345,
the Black when the planets of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars were
aligned closely in the night sky. This unusual event was
Death considered by certain people to have caused a toxic
cloud to form over India. As this cloud drifted on, it was
said to infect people below with the plague." (OBI, 282).
Beliefs about the causes of the Black Death

Belief two: bad smells caused the disease.

People carried herbs, spices and flowers such as

rosemary.

Medieval doctors told people not to sleep on their backs

because they could breathe in bad smells.
Medieval Treatments

Rich people were treated by university-

educated doctors.

Poor people were treated by nuns, monks or

community healers (mostly older women).
Plague Doctors

• They were specialist physicians hired by their local

city or town to fight the plague.
• Weren't always well trained and could do little for
victims.
What did they do?
1. Separated people (quarantine).
2. Burn victims clothing to stop the spread.
3. Pray for the victims.
 Blood letting: it was believed blood
letting removed dirty blood, preventing the
disease. Leeches were used to suck out blood
or a persons vein was cut.

Medical Forced vomiting, sweating or diarrhea to

expel the illness.
treatments
Cutting open buboes: to release the blood
and the puss filled wound with dried toads
and dried human.
Surgeons
• There was very little understanding of the human anatomy.
• "Medieval operating tools included saws, knives, hot irons and sharp
instruments for blood letting. None of these were sterilized."
• Anaesthetic did not exist in medieval Europe.

"Poor people might be given a piece of wood to bite on. More wealthy people
were sometimes given a sedating drug like alcohol mixed with opium.
Another sedative called ‘dwale’ was often used but it was deadly if given in
the wrong amounts. Besides opium and dwale, lettuce juice, vinegar and the
bile of a castrated wild pig were also used to relieve the pain of surgery."