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Updated 3 Mar 2026

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The Black Death: Causes, Symptoms, and How It Spread

Gabriela

@gabriela.my.school.journey16

The Black Death was a devastating plague that swept through... Show more

Had a look
Nearly there
Nailed it!
c1250-c1500:
The Middle
Ages

The Black Death, 1348-9
Case
The Black Death reached Britain in 1348, killi

The Black Death: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments in Medieval England

Causes and Origins

Medieval people attributed the causes of the Black Death to various factors:

Religious punishment from God for sins
Unusual alignment of planets Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn
Miasma theory: bad air or smells from decaying matter
Poisonous gases from European volcanoes and earthquakes
Imbalance in the Four Humours, a prevalent medical theory
Malevolent actions of outsiders or witches

Highlight: Modern historians believe the Black Death was likely bubonic plague, transmitted by fleas living on black rats that traveled on trading ships.

Symptoms and Progression

The symptoms of the Black Death were severe and often fatal:

Swelling of lymph glands into large, pus-filled lumps called buboes
Fever and chills
Intense headaches
Vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain

Vocabulary: Buboes - swollen, pus-filled lymph glands characteristic of bubonic plague.

Prevention Methods

People in medieval England attempted to avoid catching the plague through various means:

Religious practices like praying and fasting to show repentance
Environmental measures such as clearing street rubbish and keeping air moving
Carrying herbs and spices to ward off 'bad air'
Restricting entry of strangers into towns and villages

Example: Some people believed that smelling strong odors, even from toilets, could overcome the plague-causing miasma.

Treatments and Remedies

How was the Black Death treated in 1348? Medieval treatments were largely ineffective and based on superstition or misguided medical theories:

Prayer and use of lucky charms
Draining pus from buboes by cutting them open
Applying bread to buboes and then burying it
Consuming cool foods and taking cold baths

Definition: Miasma theory - the belief that diseases were caused by bad air or noxious vapors.

The variety of prevention methods and treatments reflects the medieval understanding of disease causation, blending religious, astrological, and primitive medical concepts. This highlights the limited scientific knowledge of the time and the desperate attempts to combat a devastating pandemic.

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1,133

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Updated 3 Mar 2026

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1 page

The Black Death: Causes, Symptoms, and How It Spread

Gabriela

@gabriela.my.school.journey16

The Black Death was a devastating plague that swept through medieval England in 1348-1349, killing approximately one-third of the population. This deadly pandemic provides insight into medieval understanding of disease and medical practices.

Key points:

Causes of the Black Death... Show more

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The Black Death: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments in Medieval England

The Black Death was a catastrophic plague that ravaged England in 1348-1349, decimating about one-third of the population. This pandemic provides valuable insights into medieval understanding of disease and medical practices.

Causes and Origins

Medieval people attributed the causes of the Black Death to various factors:

Religious punishment from God for sins

Unusual alignment of planets Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn

Miasma theory: bad air or smells from decaying matter

Poisonous gases from European volcanoes and earthquakes

Imbalance in the Four Humours, a prevalent medical theory

Malevolent actions of outsiders or witches

Highlight: Modern historians believe the Black Death was likely bubonic plague, transmitted by fleas living on black rats that traveled on trading ships.

Symptoms and Progression

The symptoms of the Black Death were severe and often fatal:

Swelling of lymph glands into large, pus-filled lumps called buboes

Fever and chills

Intense headaches

Vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain

Vocabulary: Buboes - swollen, pus-filled lymph glands characteristic of bubonic plague.

Prevention Methods

People in medieval England attempted to avoid catching the plague through various means:

Religious practices like praying and fasting to show repentance

Environmental measures such as clearing street rubbish and keeping air moving

Carrying herbs and spices to ward off 'bad air'

Restricting entry of strangers into towns and villages

Example: Some people believed that smelling strong odors, even from toilets, could overcome the plague-causing miasma.

Treatments and Remedies

How was the Black Death treated in 1348? Medieval treatments were largely ineffective and based on superstition or misguided medical theories:

Prayer and use of lucky charms

Draining pus from buboes by cutting them open

Applying bread to buboes and then burying it

Consuming cool foods and taking cold baths

Definition: Miasma theory - the belief that diseases were caused by bad air or noxious vapors.

The variety of prevention methods and treatments reflects the medieval understanding of disease causation, blending religious, astrological, and primitive medical concepts. This highlights the limited scientific knowledge of the time and the desperate attempts to combat a devastating pandemic.