Blakes Black Death project

DEAR DIARY

Picture

March 3, 1348

Dear Diary,

My name is Sarah Himes. I have never written in a diary before, so please bear with me. The Black Death happened to hit our village, and I am starting to see scary and horrible things happening everywhere around me; I figured that you would be the best place to record these events. It is 1348, and I am turning 21 this year. However, by the looks of the way things are going in the village, I am just hoping that I make it to my birthday. Apparently this plague is is very deadly, and came to us by rats during sea travel through the Mediterranean. The Black Death brought three specific plagues to my village: bubonic plague, pneumonic plague, septicemic plague. These plagues have each come with there own symptoms. The bubonic plague’s systems include fever, headaches, painful aching joints, nausea, vomiting, and general feeling of malaise. Out of every person who is getting this plague 4 out of five people died within 8 days. It’s mortality rate varies from thirty to seventy five percent. The pneumonic plague is the second most commonly seen. It’s mortality rate varies from ninety to ninety five percent. Some of the symptoms that this plague includes were fever, cough, and blood-tinged sputum. As the disease got worse the sputum became free-flowing and bright red when it came out. The Black Death also includes the septicemic plague which is the least commonly seen throughout the village and has a mortality rate of almost a hundred percent. This plague includes symptoms of high fever and purple skin patches.These plagues not only covers our whole village but also it covered many of Europe and Asia. I have seen children being left behind everywhere. Parents are fleeing for their lives, and are at the point where they aren't even concerned with their own children. It is absolutely horrifying. I have tried to go to the Church and pray about what is going on, but all of the clergy is leaving, and even the powerful Church is struggling with what to do. I almost feel like I am on an island all alone. I did not contact the plague, and I am still hoping to stay safe while helping others in my village. The Black Death has already wiped out at least 30% to 60% of Europe’s population. Our village was left about 3/4 empty so it is a really tough time for us because we are still trying to get rid of the plague and repopulate the whole village while trying to keep invaders from trying to conquer our land. This is my prayer: "Please God, if ever we need your help it is now. I have very little faith left, and I know very few people still believe. Give us a miracle if you can."

That is all for now diary,

Sarah Himes

Peoples Opinion On The Black Death

How The Black Death Began

The Bibonic Plague started by black rats carrying fleas and transporting on cargo and cart ships. The ships traveled from ports to towns and villages from places like Western Asia, North America and Europe.

This way the plague spread quickly and fast because of all the ships traveling to different countrys. while the rats where onboard with the fleas the fleas sucked the rats blood which then the rats died so they then transported onto human. After the ships arrived the fleas then went onto the humans and sucked there blood which then infected them with the plague after that the rats spread across the village and then made the fleas more of a chance to infected more than 100 peoplea day.

Signs And Symptoms

There are alot of different symtoms of the black death the most common one was visible on your body and it is called buboes or (gavocciolos). Buboe is a swelling of the lymph nodes and is a large blister that can be found either under the armpits the groin or the neck, it can be larger than a chickens egg. Other symptom of the Black Death are fevers, chills, headaches, fatigue and muscle aches. There wernt any major more apart from bleeding and shortness of breath.

The Black Death Doctors

The Black Death doctors were the ones who treated patients that had been infected by the black death. In places like France and Netherlands the plague doctors didnt know much about disease and didnt have any medical training so they were referred as Empirics. For instance a plague doctor used to be a food salemen then he bacame a physician. They had a metre wooden stick to look at the patient so they woulnt get infected too. Most of the plague doctors wore a suit to proctect themselves from the black death and from getting themselves infected. There wore a big black robe that went from there ankles to the neck and they wore a bird shaped mask with with a rounded top hat about 15cm tall. The beak mask had glass eyes so the doctor could see and inside the beak they had dried flowers or herbs and spices to keep away the bad smell of the dead or alive patients. When the citizens saw the plague doctors they were scared because it was a sign to show imminate death.

Video About The Black Plague doctors

About The Plague Doctors

Animation About A Plague Doctor Getting infected

Cause Of The Black Death

The main cause of the black death is the bacteria called yersinia pestis. The yersinia petis was a parasite that caused the black death they are mostly found black rats or rodents. The black rats and rodents transported on boats from place to place by sitting in the front parts of a ship and killing the men on board if they were in contact with the fleas. After the ships arrived to the docks at another place the fleas had no more rats to feed on so they moved onto humans from time to time the fleas spread to different places infecting more people for years killing around 20 to 30 million in Europe in the 1300's.

Video On The Causes