The Black Death and Its Effects On Europe

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towns along the Black Sea in 1347 and was spread west along trade routes mainly by Venetian and Genoese sailors. From Pisa, where it had arrived early in 1348, it traveled to Florence and then on to Rome and Bologna; from Venice it moved into southern Germany and Austria; and from Genoa it crossed the Tyrhennian Sea to Barcelona in Spain and Marseilles in France. It continued through the towns of southern France, reaching Paris by early June 1348. From there the contagion spread to England by late June 1348 and the Low Countries by the summer of 1349. Some parts of Europe such as Central Germany and Eastern Europe remained free of the epidemic during the period (1347-1351)--mainly due to their relative isolation. Among the major cities, the Italian town of Milan was less affected as the lord of the city had ordered that the gates of the city be closed to travelers from plague-hit areas.

How was the Disease Spread?

In the 14th century, very little was known about the cause ...

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the temperature begins to fall in about five days, and becomes normal in about two weeks. If left untreated, death occurs in about four days.
In 'pneumonic plague,' the respiratory tract is the primarily affected. The sputum is at first slimy and tinted with blood and later becomes free-flowing and bright red. Death occurs in most cases two or three days after the first appearance of symptoms. In 'septicemic plague,' the victim has a sudden onset of high fever and his skin color turns deep purple within hours--often dying within the same day. The purple color of plague victims which occurs during their last hours due to respiratory failure is, perhaps, one of the reasons for the ...

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