What do you, dear reader, associate with the Middle Ages? Perhaps with noble knights, mystical stories, original architecture and pristine nature, untouched by the influence of civilization? Leave an idyllic picture for romantic poems and fantasy films.
Troubles, many bloody wars, unsanitary conditions and glorious "feats" of the Inquisition - this will be closer to the truth. In the Middle Ages, not everyone died of natural causes, and the life expectancy of an ordinary person rarely exceeded 35..40 years.
But even wars and other bloody events pale in comparison to the damage caused by some mysterious assassin in medieval Europe. It was his fault that killed not tens, hundreds or even thousands, but millions of people. The name of the mysterious and terrible killer is the black plague.
How does the plague manifest - symptoms
Throughout the history of mankind, plague epidemics have happened a plague doctor in a mask with a beak more than once. The symptoms of this disease are described in the chronicles of ancient Egypt dating back to the 4th century BC. The worst plague in Europe began in 1347. The epidemic that raged in the countries of the Old World killed about 75 million people.
The black plague manifests itself very rapidly. The incubation period for the development of the disease is from three to six days. The patient has the following symptoms:
- Increased body temperature
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- Signs of intoxication
- Muscle pain
- Vomiting, sometimes with blood
- Psychomotor agitation, the desire to run somewhere
- Hallucinations and delusions
Another well-known symptom is buboes in plague. Tambourines are swelling of the axillary or cervical lymph nodes.
Where did the "great pestilence" come from?
Today it is known that the great plague in London (as in other cities in Europe) was caused by a tiny microorganism - a bacterium called Y. Pestis. But for the inhabitants of that era, the "great pestilence" was divine punishment for sins. People were in a panic, which only contributed to a decrease in immunity and the early spread of the disease.
As it turned out, common rats were the distributor of Y. Pestis bacteria. More precisely, the carriers were not these unsympathetic animals themselves, but the fleas living on them. Just a flea bite is enough for a person to become infected with bubonic plague. Taking into account the unsanitary conditions of medieval cities and the abundance of rats, it is not surprising that the epidemic was spreading at a high speed.
Dark facts and legends
rats - spreading the plague The streets of medieval cities were literally littered with corpses. The plague epidemic mowed people down so quickly that they did not have time to bury the dead.
Doctors making rounds of patients wore special masks in the shape of a bird's beak. In this "beak" was placed a strong-smelling mixture of garlic and aromatic herbs. It was believed that the mask should protect the healer from infection.
There is a legend about human sacrifices performed by certain priests who tried to stop the spread of the epidemic. However, it is not clear whether this legend is a historical fact or an idle fiction.
The spread of the plague was attributed to the Jews. Allegedly, they knew the secret of a magic potion made from the blood of an owl and poisonous spiders, with the help of which the Jews tried to exterminate Christians. With the tacit approval or consent of the authorities, maddened crowds pogroms in neighborhoods where Jews lived. The Jews were hanged and burned, there were cases of desecration of the corpses of those killed.
To contain the spread of the plague, people who fell ill were locked in their homes for quarantine. Often together with relatives. Naturally, this led to new casualties.