2. Causes / Transmission
• The black plague (also called bubonic plague
or black death) was caused by fleas infected
with the bacteria Yersinia pestis.
• The flea would then bite dogs, rats, humans,
and any other animal it came in contact with.
• Since fleas were a part of everyday life back in
the 1300’s, no one thought anything of them.
3. Symptoms
• There were many symptoms that could be
found early such as: headache, fever, chills,
vomiting, and nausea.
• These symptoms progressively worsen as the
plague develop into more severe symptoms
like: severe migraines, coughing up blood,
respiratory failure, rapid heart rate, and
ultimately death.
4. Results
• The Black Plague killed 25 million people in
Europe.
• At the time, this was 1/3 of Europe’s
population.
• Masks were worn to protect the doctors who
got close to the patients. This is where we got
the mask part of Halloween.
5. Effects on Hierarchy
• This plague had no mercy and did not pick and
choose who it killed.
• It killed many descendants of the royal family.
• The hierarchy was mixed up during the black
plague because the only people who ruled when
it was all over were the people who survived.
• The people who survived were not always the
most fit to rule and could have been of a lower
class.
6. Treatment
• Treatment was very difficult and usually
resulted in death.
• In the 1300’s, the doctors decided it would be
best to drain the contaminated blood, so they
would slice open their skin and let them bleed
into blood bowls; however, this also made
them die faster.
7. Doctors
• The doctors were forced to wear special
clothing when treating patients with the
plague.
• They would wear a face mask that looked like
a bird with two slits for the eyes, a long robe
that went to the bottom of their ankles, and a
hat so that none of their body would be
exposed to the plague.
