The Black Death

Did ring around a Rosie have anything to do with the plague?

You may have heard the Nursery rhyme ring around the Rosie? But have you ever thought twice about what it is about. This popular nursery rhyme is based on one of the most devastating Pandemics ever to be recorded in history also known as the Black Death. It killed around 75-200 million people all through Europe, starting from the arid plains of central Asia of where it originated. If you are to break down in this rhyme you can actually understand the effects of the Black Plague. “Ring around a Rosie” to describe the rash that broke out on a person’s skin forming red ringed spotted with a dark spot making it look like a rose. “Pocket full of Posey” people often carried Posey’s to cover the smell of the dead people lying around. “achoo achoo we all fall down” Resident would often burn the house of people with the disease, hoping it will put an end to the disease the ash in the air would make people sneeze. “We all fall down” The plague filled villages and cities with dead and dying victims. People would collapse in the streets and be left lying there.

Who were the Black Death doctors?

In the times of Medieval the doctors were hired by towns that had many people affected by the plague. Since the town was hiring them, rich and poor would be given the same treated. The doctors wore a beak like mask filled with aromatic items to hide the smell of death. The coat they wore consisted of heavy fabric coated with wax. Under the coats were boots made from goat leather, the hat and thegloves were also made of the same material. The wooden can they carried around was used to examine the patient directly. The hat they wore was to identify their position as a doctor. This odd looking garment was invented by Charles de L’more in 1691

What were the types of the Black Death?

Bubonic

The spreading of bubonic plague depends on the season, the peak of was reached in autumn because in this season the fleas reproduce.Symptoms of this particular plague are fever, head ache and pain in the limbs. Then it would attack on the lymphatic system (immune system), enormously swollen and sore lumps located at the neck and thigh would appear, with a diameter of up to 10 cm with colours of blue and black. Untreated, it can move into the blood and cause septicemic plague, or to the lungs, causing pneumonic plague. These form of plague lead in 90 – 100 per cent of the cases to death.

Pneumonic)

When the bacteria multiply in the lungs, it would be called pneumonic plague. Symptoms of this plague would appear as quickly as one day of with trouble breathing, chest pain, coughing, fever, headache, weakness and saliva, mucus or puss from the lungs. These symptoms can easily cause the circulatory system to collapse causing death. Once found with this type of plague you are only estimated to live for 1 to 2 days.

Septicemic)

The septicemic plague is created when bacteria enters the blood vessels then multiplying. It can enter from open wounds or the bursting of pest boils, meaning both bubonic and pneumonic plague can lead to septicemic plague. The infection causes high fever, shivering fit, head ache and general indisposition. Later there are extensive skin and organ haemorrhages. The septicemic plague always leads to death within 36 hours, if it is not treated.

How long did the plague last?

The Black Death started in the year of 1347 killing its victims. By the year of 1350, the plague spread through ten different countries with 20 million people claimed dead all through Europe. The plague lasted for four years, but it still remained a recurrent fear until the seventeenth century.

BIBLOGRAPHY:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/black_01.shtml

http://www.themiddleages.net/plague.html

http://www.doctorsreview.com/history/doctors-black-death/

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071112200119AAwdMdJ

http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_black_death

http://wccshoeing.wordpress.com/

Photos: