plague

views updated

plague

The generic term plague covers a host of epidemic diseases, with the most familiar being a rapidly spreading, often-fatal infection caused by Yersinia pestis. The Yersinia pestis bacillus causes a variety of symptoms, with the most common being a painful swelling of the lymph nodes that causes an abnormal growth known as a bubo in the groin or under the armpits (from “bubo” comes the term “bubonic plague”). In the Middle Ages, the bacillus was spread by a flea hosted by rats, the common companions of peasants as well as city-dwellers. The plague spread rapidly, sometimes killing as much as 80 percent of the local population, leaving entire regions depopulated, and causing a breakdown of civil order. The plague outbreak of 1347–1349, also known as the Black Death, was the worst in history and reduced the population of Europe by about one-third. Mortality was especially high among the aged, but a second wave in the 1360s, known as the “children's plague,” had a higher mortality rate among the young. The population of the continent fell dramatically in the fourteenth century, which was also a time of widespread famine and, in France, the devastating effects of the Hundred Years' War.

The plague played an important role in ending traditional medieval society. By eliminating so much of the labor force, the epidemic drove up wage rates. This gave serfs an opportunity to defy the manorial system, in which they were tied to the estates of the landowners, and become free-roaming peasants. Many peasants moved to the cities to take up artisanal trades in the cities.

The plague turned the social order upside down and inspired important works of art and literature. Plague played a central role in the Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio, a collection of stories told by a group of young men and women who flee a plague-ridden town for the safety of the countryside. The plague also prompted new writings and historical tracts concerning the history and nature of contagious disease, a first step toward the modern understanding of disease and its causes.

Plague outbreaks continued during the Renaissance, striking cities seemingly at random. Cities were affected more than rural areas; some regions of Europe and cities were spared, while others were devastated. The plague continued to strike Europe at regular intervals through the Renaissance and did not subside until the early eighteenth century, when a final serious outbreak occurred in the French port of Marseille.

The plague forced cities to organize new methods of combating epidemics. Italy led the way during the early Renaissance in fighting plague through civic organizations. The disease prompted Florence and other cities to create civic organizations and committees responsible for new public health measures, such as the enforcement of sanitary laws, the prompt disposal of the dead, and the quarantining of plague-stricken houses. Special hospitals were set up to treat plague victims, and a new system of quarantining ships was set up in ports, which isolated crew, passengers, and cargo for a certain period (usually a month) in order to make sure the ship was not carrying any epidemics. Larger urban administrations became permanent, as cities placed authority in health officials drawn from the citizenry.

Most believed the plague to be the workings of God's wrath for the sins and corruption of humanity. In places where the plague struck, it was common for the citizens to hold public displays of repentance for their sins. At the same time, scientists and doctors were taking the first steps in understanding how the plague was transmitted. They examined victims and watched the progress of the disease, comparing cases and taking note of preventive measures that seemed to work. In this way, the plague helped medical science to progress to its modern era of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.