The Black Death 1348

The Black Death arrived in England in 1348 and killed between one-third and one-half of the population within two years. It was the most devastating epidemic in English history and provides a key case study for understanding medieval responses to disease.

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What Was the Black Death?

The Black Death was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, though medieval people had no understanding of bacteria. The disease took two main forms:

Form	Symptoms	Mortality Rate
Bubonic plague	Painful swellings (buboes) in the groin, armpits, and neck; fever; vomiting	Around 60--70%
Pneumonic plague	Attacked the lungs; coughing blood; spread through the air	Almost 100%

The disease was spread by fleas carried on black rats, which arrived on trading ships from Asia. It travelled along trade routes from Central Asia, through the Middle East and Mediterranean, reaching England by June 1348.

Key Term: Buboes --- the large, painful swellings that gave the bubonic plague its name. They could grow to the size of an egg or apple.

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Medieval Explanations for the Black Death