Plagues in England: Death Is in the Air

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German scientist and satirist, Georg C. Lichtenberg, once said, “Sickness is mankind's greatest defect.” Sickness affects everyone, no matter where one is from or how one lives. Even in today’s world with modern medicine, sickness runs rampant. If one were to think back to when the only cures society had were rituals, a prime example of sickness in a society is England. Recalling the plagues in England, one can easily see the two prominent plagues that struck, along with how they affected English economy and culture.
In the 1300’s, England was struck with a plague called the Bubonic Plague, better known as the “Black Death.” Historians believe this disease arrived by ship at a seaport in modern day Ukraine (Byrne 1). Fleas living on the back of rats were the main cause of spreading. Because of the poor living conditions, rats were very common in towns, making it simple for fleas to bite the human, giving them the disease. Symptoms were easily spotted; the victim would have lumps on his or her groin and armpits, which would then turn to black spots on the arms and thighs (Trueman 1). Most who suffered form this epidemic did not live past three days (Trueman 1). Because the vermin spread this disease so rapidly, it would eventually affect most of Europe. The source of the Black Death was unknown at the time; therefore physicians could not stop the spread or treat the infected (Byrne 1). Many people thought that it was God’s punishment, so to appease Him, they publicly whipped themselves (Byrne 1). Before declining, the Black Death killed around forty percent of the European populations, which is about 25 million victims, making it one of the most widely known epidemics. Once the Bubonic Plague died out, it only had two...

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... from our world today. Though they are not as prominent now, everyone suffers from some kind of sickness.

Works Cited

Bollet, Alfred J. Plagues and Poxes: The Impact of Human History on Epidemic Disease. New York, NY, USA: Demos Medical Publishing, 2004. Print. 17 Oct. 2013.
Borsch, Stuart J. Black Death in Egypt and England: A Comparative Study. Austin, TX,
USA: University of Texas Press, 2005. eBrary. Web. 8 Oct. 2013.
Byrne, Joseph P. "Black Death." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.
Defoe, Daniel. "Great Plague in London." A.D. 1665. The Great Events by Famous
Historians, Vol. 12. Harrogate, TN: The National Alumni, 1926. World Book
Advanced. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.
"Great Plague." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.
Trueman, Chris. "The Black Death of 1348 to 1350." History Learning Site. Web. 18 Oct.
2013.

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