The Bubonic Plague: A Silent Slayer
Juhi Ramchandani
Due: 06/05/07
4B
For centuries, a disease has haunted nations around the world. This particular
disease is known for causing some of the worst symptoms and for killing individuals
within days. Whether it was called the Black Death or anything else, this silent killer has
been on the loose ever since Italian ships brought it into the lands of the Greeks and
Romans [WideOpenDoors.net]. In the past, it was unstoppable, yet now modern day
technology has been able to resolve many of the problems associated with this deadly
assassin. The silent, yet deadly, killer is the bubonic plague, and it has affected the lives
of doctors, societies, and the field of medicine drastically and has changed the methods of
diagnosing, treating, and curing patients who are afflicted with the bubonic plague.
The methods of diagnosing the bubonic plague have changed drastically through
time. For instance, it was said that this disease was a result of an imbalance of four vital
bodily fluids [Andrews, Brainard, Halay, Mussuri, Stefoff, and Austrian 97-99]. These
bodily fluids were blood, black bile, phlegm, and yellow bile [Andrews, Brainard, Halay,
Mussuri, Stefoff, and Austrian 97-99]. In addition, witchcraft, or magic, was thought of
as a cause of the bubonic plague [Andrews, Brainard, Halay, Mussuri, Stefoff, and
Austrian 97-99]. Presently, medical professionals believe the cause to be a lack of
sanitation [Andrews, Brainard, Halay, Mussuri, Stefoff, and Austrian 97-99]. In addition,
people may be afflicted with this disease if they were to be bitten by an insect, a rodent,
or a flea that contains the Yesinia pestis bacteria [eMedTV]. This is an intracellular
parasite that enters the cells of the patient, unlike other types of bacteria, and is hence
said to be quite deadly [Wikipedia]. It may also be likely for a human to transport this
disease to others through contact, but this form of transmission is rare and quite
uncommon [Altman 64; 96].
Furthermore, after encountering the bubonic plague, one may develop several
symptoms indicating that they have caught this disease over the course of merely a few
days [eMedTV]. For instance, individuals may develop sores or swellings, called buboes
[eMedTV]. These buboes, or infected lymph nodes, then drain the area from which the
Yesinia pestis bacteria was first introduced [Gale Encyclopedia of Science]. These lymph
nodes enlarge and turn black [Gale Encyclopedia of Science]. They can be found under
the armpits, groin and neck areas [Gale Encyclopedia of Science]. They can range in size
from being a centimeter to almost ten centimeters long [Wikipedia]. Various other
symptoms include fever, headache, chills, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea
(possibly bloody), and a decrease in appetite [eMedTV]. Another common trait found in
patients with this disease would be congested blood vessels [eMedTV]. In addition, there
are miniscule broken blood vessels and swollen, purple blotches under the skin that are
caused by internal bleeding [Andrews, Brainard, Halay, Mussuri, Stefoff, Austrian 9799].
Moreover, the methods of treating this disease have also evolved over time. For
instance, in medieval times, one form of treatment for the bubonic plague would be with
vinegar and rose water [History Learning Site]. The individual would be put to bed and
would be told to wash themselves with rose water and vinegar [History Learning Site].
In addition, another form of treatment would be buboe lancing, which was when the sores
(called buboes) were cut open and a mixture of tree resin, white lily roots, and dried
human excrement were to be applied to the cuts made [History Learning Site].
Moreover, bleeding was another option [History Learning Site].
Also, pestilence
medicine was a very popular method of treating this disease [History Learning Site].
This type of medicine was comprised of newly laid roasted egg shells that had been
grounded to powder and had been placed in an ale pot with marigolds and treacle and had
been heated over a fire [History Learning Site]. This mixture was to be drunk every
morning and night by the patient [History Learning Site]. People even went as far as
using witchcraft to cure this ailment [History Learning Site]. For this treatment, a live
hen was placed next to the inflicted individual and that person was told to drink his or her
own urine two times a day [History Learning Site]. Now, the afflicted individuals
generally are told to take injected medicine or pills [Wikipedia], usually antibiotics such
as Streptomycin and Gentamycin, for a certain number of days, depending on the severity
of the disease [eMedTV].
In conclusion, the bubonic plague has transformed both modern day medicine and
the global society quite drastically. It has affected the world in a negative way, by wiping
out entire town populations and causing a lack of workers in the past
[WideOpenDoors.Net]. On the contrary, this disease has also helped shape some of the
modern methods of treating diseases similar to the bubonic plague. Overall, the bubonic
plague and its methods of diagnosing and treating this disease have revolutionized over
time and may continue to change in the future.
Bibliography
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Enslow, Inc., 1998. 64; 96.
Andrews, John F., Guy Austrian, Jean Brainard, John Halay, Mark Mussari, and Rebecca
Stefoff. Shakespeare's World and Work. Vol. I. New York: Library of Congress,
2001. 97-99.
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