Bubonic Plague

Bubonic plague research papers are historical investigations into this historically devastating diseases. Study the medical aspects or look in-depth into the historical facts regarding the Bubonic plague, otherwise known as the Black Death.

The Black Death swept through Europe and Asia during the fourteenth century, killing millions and leaving streets lined with corpses. During the worst days of death and agony, the people of the countries affected pondered on the cause of the plague. Today, medical experts agree that the Bubonic Plague was caused by a tiny bacterium, Yersinia pestis. However, the spread of the disease was caused by religious and political events that changed the way society lived.

The Middle Ages' Plague

During the Middle Ages, the Bubonic Plague, popularly called the "Black Death", killed over 25 million people in China and Europe.

• The disease got its name from the purplish-black spots it left on its victims.
• In some cities, forty to sixty percent of the population was wiped out.
• Although there were many theories populated as to why the millions were dying, many citizens believed the plague was the result of an angry God or some dark and evil curse.

During the Middle Ages, experts suspected that the Black Death was transmitted by diseased rats or the fleas feeding on the rats. Medical experts from France believed the disease spread as a result of the severe drought that plagued the regions of China in 1333. This drought resulted in the death of much of the vegetable and animal life and led to wide spread famine. During 1334, heavy rains caused streams and rivers to overflow. Scientists in Paris believed the two disasters caused the spread of disease from parts of China to other regions in Europe.

The Plague and Politics

While the spread of the disease was due to flea infested rats, political and religious movements and policies facilitated the spread of the Black Death throughout Europe. During the Middle Ages, sanitation facilities were scant to nonexistent. Many people lived in poverty with little to no access to safe drinking water or living conditions. Diseased rats had free run of the most populated areas.