Black DeathA fascinating work of detective history, The Black Death traces the causes and far-reaching consequences of this infamous outbreak of plague that spread across the continent of Europe from 1347 to 1351. Drawing on sources as diverse as monastic manuscripts and dendrochronological studies (which measure growth rings in trees), historian Robert S. Gottfried demonstrates how a bacillus transmitted by rat fleas brought on an ecological reign of terror -- killing one European in three, wiping out entire villages and towns, and rocking the foundation of medieval society and civilization. |
Contents
| 1 | |
The European Environment 10501347 | 16 |
The Plagues Beginnings | 33 |
The Plagues Progress | 54 |
The Immediate Consequences | 77 |
The Stirrings of Modern Medicine | 104 |
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areas Asia began Black Death brought bubonic plague Cambridge University Press caused changes Christian chronicler church claimed clergy crisis Cuxham demic depopulation died doctors early fourteenth century eastern economic effect England English Europe's European example famines fifteenth century flagellants fleas Florence fourteenth century France Georges Duby Germany Guy de Chauliac History human important infected Italian Italy Jean de Venette John Justinian's Plague killed labor land late medieval Late Middle Ages London lords Manor manorial McNeill medicine Medieval Mediterranean Basin merchants Middle East Netherlands North northern Oxford pandemic Paris peasants perished pestis physicians plague epidemics plague mortality plague's pneumonic plague population postplague preplague Princeton University Press public health rodent role rural scholars second plague pandemic sick Siena sixteenth smallpox social Society southern spread surgeons teenth century theory thirteenth century Thrupp tion town trade tury twelfth century urban Venice victims villages West Western William McNeill York