The‌‌Plague‌‌(Black‌‌Death)‌‌ 

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‌1346-1352‌  ‌

‌ ‌By:‌‌Zeina‌  ‌
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Symptoms‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Plague:‌  ‌
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Europeans‌‌were‌‌barely‌‌prepared‌‌for‌‌such‌‌a‌‌horrifying‌‌time.‌‌Though,‌‌one‌‌thing‌‌that‌‌they‌‌could‌‌look‌‌out‌‌ 
for‌‌were‌‌symptoms.‌  ‌
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Some‌‌symptoms‌‌that‌‌were‌‌faced‌‌by‌‌these‌‌people‌‌were‌‌blood‌‌and‌‌pus‌‌that‌‌seeped‌‌out‌‌of‌‌swelled‌‌parts,‌‌ 
fever,‌‌chills,‌‌vomitting,‌‌and‌‌more‌‌painful‌‌symptoms!‌  ‌
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The‌‌main‌‌part‌‌of‌‌the‌‌body‌‌that‌‌this‌‌disease‌‌attacks‌‌is‌‌the‌‌lymphatic‌‌system.‌  ‌
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How‌‌Did‌‌the‌‌Plague‌‌Start?‌  ‌
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12‌‌ships‌‌were‌‌arriving‌‌back‌‌from‌‌the‌‌Black‌‌Sea.‌‌Rumours‌‌were‌‌spread‌‌beforehand‌‌about‌‌how‌‌ 
dangerous‌‌this‌‌place‌‌is.‌‌Dangerous‌‌enough‌‌to‌‌kill‌‌millions.‌‌However,‌‌these‌‌12‌‌ships‌‌were‌‌too‌‌late‌‌to‌‌know,‌‌ 
assumingly.‌‌By‌‌the‌‌time‌‌people‌‌gathered‌‌around‌‌the‌‌ship‌‌that‌‌just‌‌docked‌‌at‌‌the‌‌Sicilian‌‌ports‌‌of‌‌Messina‌‌on‌‌ 
October‌‌1347,‌‌they‌‌noticed‌‌that‌‌most‌‌of‌‌the‌‌people‌‌on‌‌the‌‌ships‌‌were‌‌dead,‌‌and‌‌for‌‌those‌‌who‌‌were‌‌alive,‌‌they‌‌ 
were‌‌barely;‌‌they‌‌were‌‌extremely‌‌ill,‌‌and‌‌were‌‌covered‌‌in‌‌black‌‌boils‌‌that‌‌bled,‌‌and‌‌oozed‌‌pus.‌  ‌
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How‌‌Did‌‌the‌‌Plague‌‌Spread?‌  ‌
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Like‌‌COVID-19,‌‌the‌‌Plague‌‌is‌‌very‌‌contagious;‌‌even‌‌touching‌‌clothing‌‌that‌‌contained‌‌the‌‌Plague‌‌could‌‌ 
kill‌‌someone‌‌who‌‌was‌‌perfectly‌‌healthy.‌‌If‌‌someone‌‌touched‌‌a‌‌piece‌‌of‌‌clothing‌‌that‌‌had‌‌the‌‌Plague‌‌before‌‌they‌‌ 
went‌‌to‌‌bed,‌‌by‌‌morning‌‌they‌‌would‌‌most‌‌likely‌‌be‌‌dead!‌  ‌
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 Understanding‌‌the‌‌Plague:‌  ‌
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Nowadays,‌‌scientists‌‌know‌‌that‌‌this‌‌disease,‌‌the‌‌Plague/the‌‌Black‌‌Death,‌‌is‌‌caused‌‌by‌‌a‌‌germ‌‌called‌  ‌
Yersina‌‌Pestis.‌‌This‌‌bacillus/germ‌‌can‌‌travel‌‌through‌‌the‌‌air,‌‌rats,‌‌and‌‌fleas,‌‌which‌‌makes‌‌the‌‌disease‌‌even‌‌deadlier‌‌ 
since‌‌there‌‌are/were‌‌a‌‌lot‌‌of‌‌rats‌‌and‌‌fleas‌‌everywhere,‌‌especially‌‌on‌‌ships!‌‌This‌‌brought‌‌the‌‌chance‌‌of‌‌death‌‌even‌‌ 
higher.‌  ‌
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How‌‌to‌‌Treat‌‌the‌‌Plague:‌  ‌
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Back‌‌then,‌‌people‌‌bloodletted,‌‌ ‌which‌‌is‌‌to‌‌withdraw‌‌blood‌‌to‌‌get‌‌rid‌‌of‌‌things‌‌like‌‌diseases‌, ‌‌
boil-lanced,‌w
‌ hich‌‌is‌‌to‌‌make‌‌a‌‌hole‌‌for‌‌the‌‌pus‌‌to‌‌come‌‌out‌,‌‌and‌‌people‌‌did‌‌other‌‌things‌‌like‌‌burning‌‌herbs‌‌ 
or‌‌bath‌‌in‌‌rosewater‌‌or‌‌vinegar.‌‌However,‌‌besides‌‌the‌‌herbs‌‌and‌‌the‌‌bathing,‌‌these‌‌were‌‌all‌‌very‌‌risky‌‌ways‌‌of‌‌ 
treating‌‌the‌‌Plague‌‌as‌‌they‌‌were‌‌all‌‌unsanitary‌‌ways‌‌of‌‌doing‌‌it.‌‌They‌‌were‌‌life-threatening‌‌and‌‌therefore‌‌made‌‌it‌ 
hard‌‌to‌‌get‌‌cured‌‌because‌‌of‌‌the‌‌doctors‌‌that‌‌were‌‌refusing‌‌to‌‌see‌‌patients.‌  ‌
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How‌‌Did‌‌the‌‌Plague‌‌End?‌  ‌
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The‌‌Plague‌‌has‌‌apparently‌‌never‌‌really‌‌ended,‌‌though‌‌officials‌‌in‌‌Ragusa‌‌were‌‌able‌‌to‌‌slow‌‌it‌‌down‌‌by‌‌ 
isolating‌‌sailors‌‌for‌‌30-40‌‌days‌‌on‌‌their‌‌ships.‌‌This‌‌created‌‌something‌‌called‌“‌ social‌‌distancing”‌,‌‌just‌‌like‌‌ 
nowadays,‌‌and‌q
‌ uarantine‌.  ‌‌ ‌
So,‌‌the‌‌Plague‌‌hasn’t‌‌ever‌‌really‌‌ended,‌‌however,‌‌over‌‌the‌‌past‌‌couple‌‌of‌‌centuries,‌‌we‌‌have‌‌been‌‌able‌‌to‌‌ 
slow‌‌it‌‌down‌‌by‌‌a‌‌lot.‌  ‌
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Does‌‌the‌‌Plague‌‌Still‌‌Exist?‌  ‌
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The‌‌Plague‌‌has‌‌come‌‌and‌‌gone‌‌throughout‌‌generations.‌‌Though,‌‌modern‌‌health‌‌and‌‌sanitation‌‌ 
practices‌‌keep‌‌the‌‌Plague‌‌out‌‌the‌‌door.‌‌But,‌‌even‌‌still,‌‌there‌‌is‌‌said‌‌to‌‌be‌‌about‌‌1,000-3,000‌‌cases‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Plague‌‌ 
every‌‌single‌‌year,‌‌even‌‌after‌‌all‌‌of‌‌that!‌‌So‌‌keep‌‌washing‌‌your‌‌hands‌‌to‌‌ensure‌‌a‌‌healthy‌‌body!‌  ‌
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Some‌‌Facts‌‌About‌‌the‌‌Plague:‌  ‌
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- There‌‌have‌‌been‌‌an‌‌estimated‌‌number‌‌of‌‌75,000,000-200,000,000‌‌deaths‌‌during‌‌the‌‌pandemic‌ 
of‌‌the‌‌Plague‌‌(1346-1352).‌  ‌
- The‌‌Plague‌‌has‌‌killed‌‌a‌‌higher‌‌propotion‌‌of‌‌people‌‌than‌‌any‌‌other‌‌known‌‌event!‌  ‌
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