1.3.1
The Black Death
Towns – Bad Living Conditions
Towns – Bad Living Conditions
Public health conditions in medieval towns were worse than public health conditions in Roman times and today.
Government and London
Government and London
- The centralised organisation of Ancient Rome had vanished as regions fragmented.
- This contributed to worse public health standards
- The Thames became so dirty that the “Great Conduit” was built to bring drinking water into London. Wardens protected and repaired pipes to keep the supply clean.
- The city also tried to keep streets clean and to improve the sewage problems.
Population growth
Population growth
- The unsanitary conditions were partly because of population growth and urbanisation.
- More people lived in towns, so towns became crowded.
- People lived close together in houses made of wood and overcrowding meant that disease spread quickly.
Lack of understanding
Lack of understanding
- Towns were not clean because people did not know that dirt could cause disease and nobody understood germs or bacteria.
- Miasma (bad air) was still believed to be the cause of illness.
- Towns smelt bad, people then got ill so people thought the bad air (smells) made people ill.
Water and sewage
Water and sewage
- Rivers were used for sewage as well as for drinking water. This meant that there was a lack of clean water.
- Lots of towns didn’t have clean water or sewage systems. Often there weren’t the systems of aqueducts and sewage that the Romans had used.
- Cesspits were used for people to throw their liquid waste and sewage into.
Merchants and businesses
Merchants and businesses
- Houses were also used for business by butchers and barbers.
- Their waste and rubbish was often thrown in rivers and the street.
The Black Death in Britain
The Black Death in Britain
The Black Death was an epidemic that hit England in 1348. The disease was a mixture of bubonic plague (spread by fleas on black rats) and pneumonic plague (airborne spread by coughing/sneezing). The plagues could cause death within 2 days of the first symptoms.
Spread of the Black Death
Spread of the Black Death
- The disease began in Asia and spread to Europe on merchant ships.
- At the time, people thought that the epidemic was caused by supernatural things like the position of the stars (or God’s wrath) or natural reasons such as miasmas or humour imbalances.
Fleas
Fleas
- The bubonic plague was caused by a bacteria in fleas’ stomachs.
- Fleas were able to pass between humans quickly as many people lived close to each other, and the disease spread quickly.
Remedies for the plague
Remedies for the plague
- Suggested remedies for the Black Death included prayers to appease (satisfy) God.
- Some tried to use herbs to keep them safe from miasma.
- Others tried purging, vomiting and bloodletting to keep humours in balance.
- Others tried to move away or avoid those who had become infected.
Stopping the Black Death
Stopping the Black Death
- Some people thought that the plague was caught from dead bodies. Some towns, like Winchester tried to build cemeteries away from people's homes.
- Some towns like Gloucester tried to stop anyone outside the town entering but this did not succeed. Towns tried to set up quarantine zones, but they didn’t usually work.
- Ships were quarantined and had to wait 40 days before unloading in Britain.
Impact of the Black Death
Impact of the Black Death
Not only did the plague kill huge amounts of the population, it also led to food shortages (and higher food prices because of this). This made life even more difficult for the people who survived the Black Death.
Devastation
Devastation
- 30-45% of the British population are estimated to have died from the Black Death.
- Whole towns were killed by the Black Death.
- The Church was harmed because lots of experienced priests died. New clergymen demanded higher wages.
Impact on peasants
Impact on peasants
- The Black Death killed lots of workers. Peasants asked for higher wages and moved around to earn higher wages.
- The cost of buying land fell because of the lower population and this allowed some peasants to buy land.
- The 1349 Ordinance of Labourers tried to stop peasants moving around so much.
- Some historians think these kinds of measures and the Black Death contributed to the Peasants’ Revolt in 1381.
The end of the Black Death?
The end of the Black Death?
- The worst of the Black Death was over by 1350.
- But plagues continued for centuries. The worst example was the Great Plague of 1665.
1Medicine in Medieval England
1.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
1.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
2The Medical Renaissance in England
2.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
2.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
3Medicine in 18th & 19th Century Britain
3.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
3.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
4Medicine in Modern Britain
4.1Modern Understanding of Disease
4.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
5Treatment in WW1
6Themes in Medicine
7Some Extra Context (Not Compulsory for Exam)
7.1Medieval Medicine
Jump to other topics
1Medicine in Medieval England
1.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
1.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
2The Medical Renaissance in England
2.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
2.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
3Medicine in 18th & 19th Century Britain
3.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
3.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
4Medicine in Modern Britain
4.1Modern Understanding of Disease
4.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
5Treatment in WW1
6Themes in Medicine
7Some Extra Context (Not Compulsory for Exam)
7.1Medieval Medicine
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