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The Bubonic Plague [Black Death]
The plague had taken more than half the population of Europe. `
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The Bubonic black also known as Black Death had been transported along trading routes such as the. Fleas and rats carried a bacillus, germ called Yersina Pests. The Black Plague was a huge epidemic that killed one third of the population(Elizabethan Life - Elizabethan Medicine and Illnesses). Although during this era no one actually knew what caused the plague. The plague came in three forms the bubonic plague which were swelling that appeared on the victims necks, armpits, or groin. The swelling range from being the size of an egg to an apple and signal the victim had about a week to live. The second is the pneumonic variant which spreads through air(breathing, sneezing, etc.) and attacks the respiratory system. The third that attack the affects the blood system by attacking it, is the septicemic version. The plague was inescapable as the healthy try running away from cities, which was where the ports were located. The attempt to head towards the farmland was a mistake as cows,pigs, goats, sheep, and the chickens were affected by it. In addition the plague affected the amount of wool produce in Europe by decreasing sheep population.
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A physician is someone who is qualified to practice medicine. In order to become a Physician, one had to go to college, particularly the College of Physicians. To be given this job, one had to have a certificate showing that they graduated from this college. According to schoolworkhelper.net, this college was founded in 1518 and “In 1565 this college was given the right to do dissections on human corpses. The bodies that were used were interestingly, the bodies of executed convicts and criminals.” (Shakespearean and Elizabethan Medicine and Doctors). Basically, this college took advantage of people who were killed for committing crimes, and used them as their own guinea pigs. Physicians not only did weird things, but they dressed weird as well. According to elizabethan-era.org, it states “Elizabethan Physicians wore long dark robes with pointed hoods, leather gloves, boots, and the most bizarre masks featuring long beaks which were filled with begamot oil. Amulets of dried blood and ground-up toads were worn at the waists of the Elizabethan Physicians.” (Elizabethan Medicine and Illnesses). The physicians dressed from head to toe to prevent themselves from getting the black plague, because it did spread very quickly.
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As I mention before the people of this era had no clue of what cause the plague and how do they defend themselves. According to the article "The beliefs about the causes of illnesses were based on the ancient teachings of Aristotle and Hippocrates." In addition,the people of this era believed the Black Death was a divine punishment to replenish the sins against god such as greed, fornication and worldliness. Thus it encourage the massacre of jews in 1348 and 1349 as stated in history.com. The people also develop the idea that if they lashed themselves they would wash away their sins. The plague had reappeared for generations after the 1350s,
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