The Black Death

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How did the Bubonic Plague get to England?

There were actually two types of Black Death: the bubonic plague and the pneumonic plague. The bubonic plague probably came to England first. This would have come on the boats of French sailors that carried rats which carried fleas which carried the bubonic plague germs. The fleas would hop off the rats onto humans...

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How did the Pneumonic plague get to England?

The Pneumonic plague came to England just a little after the Bubonic plague. This was in the air or caught when a victim of the Black death sneezed their germs onto you. The Pneumonic plague was probably a follow-on of the Bubonic plague...

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Symptons of the Bubonic Plague

The bubonic plague was actually named after one of its symptoms. This symptom was the first when buboes formed all over the body. That was on day 1. Then on day 2, you would vomit a lot and develop a fever. On day 3, dark blotches and blood appeared on the body. On day 4 you would have fits and spasms. On day five the buboes erupted and spat out puss. By day six you would be dead. It took you 6-7 days to die when you had the bubonic plague...

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Symptons of the Pneumonic plague

The pneumonic plague was also a deadly germ, caught in the air. It attacked the lungs, causing victims to cough up blood and spread deadly germs as they sneezed. The victim's breath would smell as their lungs rotted inside them. Victims would die within a week...

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'Causes' of the Black Death

No-one knew anything about the Black Death when it came to England and so many were ready to believe that the Black Death was caused by:

  • It was a punishment from God
  • Jews
  • Overeating and having baths
  • Position of the planets
  • Contagion (although this one was right)
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'Cures' of the Black Death

People would try anything to rid the Black Death from themselves. These were some of the 'cures' that people tried:

  • Drink vinegar and mercury
  • Shave a chicken's bottom and strap it to the boils
  • Kill all cats and dogs
  • Pop the boils
  • Kill and dry a toad and hold it on the boils
  • There were also groups of people called flagellants who went around whipping themselves, hoping that God would take pity on them and stop the plague!
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