Bubonic Plague

To this day, one of the most deadly epidemics to descend upon London is The Bubonic Plague, or The Great Plague. It was not until the late 19th century, approximately 300 years later, that research teams identified the Plague’s probable cause. During the height of the epidemic, lack of knowledge, or ignorance, played a deadly role. Most of the methods adopted by the Londoner’s is an attempt to control the rapid spread of the epidemic, by all accounts perpetuated the problem.

Margaret Porteous, was the first documented death from The Plague on April 12, 1665. Out of the most deadly diseases, The Plague was the most feared disease. By the 17th century, the disease was of epidemic proportions and had ravished London. By July 1665, approximately three months after the first known recording of The Plague, the disease had spread throughout London with devastating results. Panic and chaos was wide spread. King Charles II fled London, with his family, and sought refuge in Oxford. Businesses were shut down. Resources were limited for the victims of the disease. Very few apothecaries remained open for business and only a few physicians chose to remain in London to assist the victims.(Bell 2)

In London, due to an influx of population growth, most Londoners were forced to reside in cramped living conditions. The average Londoner lived in small, filthy house. This posed additional health problems. The only method they had to dispose of household waste and human waste was to throw the waste into the streets. This manner of waste disposal, incorporated with

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1665 recorded as one of the hottest summers on record, resulted in the perfect breeding grounds for rodents, rats in particular. Though not understood at the time, the plague first ravished the lower socially economic citizens; the poverty stricken areas.

The culprit of the plague was the Bacterium Persinia Aestis. Numerous rodents, as well as rats, are host for this deadly bacterium. During this time, the black rat was the only known rat whose habitat was in England. The black rat played a vital role in how this malicious disease was transmitted. Rats, along with any other rodents are the hosts for the bacterium Yersinia Aestis.

Fleas were the only cause of this strain of the plague. Yersinia Aestis does not affect rodents, but it can take its toll on the flea and human population. The cause is quite simple: a flea feeds on an infected rat, and then the bacterium from the rat multiplies in the flea’s stomach. Once this happens, the flea is unable to retain its meals, resulting in the flea to go into a feeding frenzy. The flea voraciously bites the host in search of food. The bacterium is transmitted to the host from the flea, causing the host to become infected. This is caused by the bacterium causing the flea to regurgitate the blood back into its host since it cannot retain its normal diet, blood, within the fleas stomach, thus transmitting the infection to a new host. In this case, the host also included humans.(Minnaganti 3)

The Bubonic Plague causes an array of many painful symptoms. Symptoms of The Bubonic Plague generally appear two-eight days after the infected flea has bitten the victim. Then the bacteria attacks lymphatic system, resulting in a bubo. Bubos are extremely painful

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and warm to the touch. They can also debilitate the infected area. Bubo’s, usually develop on the neck, armpit, or groin area. Typically a bubo develops in the groin area. Other symptoms of the onset of the plague are swelling in the lymph nodes, headache, fever, and chills. Though most symptoms are general, the Bubo’s are a symptom unique only to the Bubonic Plague.

“Neither physicians nor medicines were effective...” (Stefani 1). Doctors who treated people with the plague were called the Plague Doctors. There were few physicians that would treat people infected with the plague for fear of contracting this deadly disease. The plague doctor wore a very distinguished, elaborate outfit, thought to offer protection to the doctor from contracting the plague. It was believed that the most efficient protection was to protect the doctor from what was called “bad air”, thought to be culprit for contracting the plague. A typical outfit worn by a plague doctor consisted of a cloak that provided full body coverage to offer protection from “bad air”. A mask of bronze, with a beaked tip, filled with medicinal herbs and aromatic spices was thought to keep way “bad air”. It further assisted in offsetting the smell of ruptured Bubo’s and decaying flesh. The wand that many doctors carried with them was used to keep the doctor from touching the bodies and to communicate with others. Underneath the cloak, the doctor wore another