Columbian Exchange
1400
1450
1500
Revolutionary War Smallpox Cholera
Great Plague of London
1550
1600
1650
1700
1750
1800
Russian Flu
1850
1900
Spanish Flu
1905
1910
1915
1920
1347- 1351
Bubonic Plague The Bubonic Plague, or Black Death, swept through Europe in the mid-1300s, reappearing many times over the following decades and centuries. Transmitted by rats and fleas stowed away on merchant vessels, the disease was known for its trademark black growths that resembled discolored, seeping boils. The Black Death killed eighty percent of its victims, taking millions of lives and reshaping the social, political, and financial landscape of Europe.
Healthier Homes While hygiene and sanitation as we know them today were still centuries away, the Black Death marked the beginning of better hygienic practices across Europe. Homes separated human living and sleeping quarters, as well as providing separate space for animals. Castles greatly increased their numbers of latrines. Wealthier homes stopped using rushes to cover floors, which were breeding grounds for vermin, and switched to rugs.
Hospitals & Medical Care Before the Black Death, hospitals were staffed by monks and nuns focusing care on the soul by praying over the often-hopelessly ill patients. The plague forced people to reevaluate their concepts of medicine and hospitals became places of observation and analysis. Anatomy and surgery were taught to young doctors at universities and medicine became a more practical physical science.
The Perfume Industry People believed that poisonous vapors spread the Black Death, so they sought out ways to purify the air around them. Small bags filled with cloves, lavender, rose water, rosemary, and other herbs were worn around the neck. Demand skyrocketed for certain herbs and flowers grown primarily in the south of France, and an industry was born.
https://listverse.com/2015/01/28/10-good-things-we-owe-to-the-black-death/ https://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/black-death https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death SUMMER 2020
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