What IS the Black Plague??

            The black plague, is of course, a disease.  Plague mainly affects rodents, but fleas can transmit the disease to people. Once people are infected, they infect others very rapidly. Plague causes fever and a painful swelling of the lymph glands called buboes, which is how it gets its name. The disease also causes spots on the skin that are red at first and then turn black.

            Coming out of the east, in the 14th century, this first epidemic was one of the worst.  It reached across the shores of Italy first, and then spread itself all over Europe.  The Italian writer Boccaccio said this about the victims. 

            "[They] often ate lunch with their friends and dinner with their ancestors in paradise." 

            The disease traveled quickly through towns, wiping out entire convents, monasteries and villages.  An absence of grave sites allowed the practice of leaving the bodies in the street.  Of course, this only allowed the disease to travel easily.  When it was done, about one third of Europe's population lay dead.  This means 25 million were killed.  It would take until the 1800's before Europe would fully recover from this blow.

            See graphics page for examples of how the plague affects the body.