The Black Death, also known as the Black Plague, Great Plague or simply Plague, was one of the most
devastating pandemics in human history, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 75 to 200
million people
in Eurasia and peaking in Europe from 1347 to
1351. The bacterium Yersinia pestis, which results in several
forms of plague, is believed to have been the cause. The plague created a
series of religious, social, and economic upheavals, which had profound effects
on the course of European history.
The
Black Death is thought to have originated in the dry plains of Central Asia, where it then travelled
along the Silk Road, reaching Crimea by 1343. From
there, it was most likely carried by Oriental rat fleas living on the black rats that were regular
passengers on merchant
ships,
spreading throughout the Mediterranean and Europe.
The
Black Death is estimated to have killed 30–60% of Europe's total population. In total, the plague may have reduced
the world population from an estimated 450 million down to 350–375 million
in the 14th century. It took 200 years for the world population to
recover to its previous level. The plague recurred as outbreaks in Europe
until the 19th century.
Comments
The medical
practitioners up to the 1400s had no clue about infectious diseases or bacteria
and no tools. Philosophers were spouting theories without much in the way of
practical experiments to prove their theories. Sin was not the cause of the
plague. Nobody knew the complexities of how the human body actually works.
Norb Leahy,
Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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