Symptom Treatment: Physicians attempted to lance buboes (drain the pus), believing that releasing the 'poison' would allow the body to recover.
Humoral Balancing: Traditional practices like bleeding and purging (via emetics or laxatives) were used to rebalance the body's humours, though they often weakened the patient.
Purifying the Air: To combat miasma, people carried nosegays (flowers) or used pomanders (lockets with herbs) to create a 'barrier' of pleasant smells.
Transmission Vectors: Bubonic plague was transmitted by flea bites from infected black rats, whereas Pneumonic plague was spread through airborne droplets.
Symptomatic Differences: Bubonic victims developed buboes (lymph node swellings), while Pneumonic victims suffered from coughing blood and lung damage.
Mortality Speed: Pneumonic plague was much faster, killing victims in 1-2 days, while Bubonic plague victims typically died within 3-5 days.
The 'Factors' Framework: Always analyze the plague through the lens of Religion, Government, and Science. This structured approach is highly valued in exam responses.
The Paradox of Change: Highlight that the Black Death eventually led to secular changes (government action) even though the underlying medical theory remained ancient.
Comparison Point: Contrast the Black Death with the Great Plague of 1665, noting that while the cause (fleas/rats) was the same, the government involvement grew over time.
Anachronistic Hygiene: Do not criticize medieval people for 'lack of hygiene'; their avoidance of bathing was based on the belief that pores should remain closed to block miasma.
Human-to-Human Contact: A common error is assuming they understood how the Bubonic version spread. They actually believed it was a 'poisoned atmosphere' rather than contact.
Ineffectiveness of Action: Avoid saying the government did 'nothing'. Local authorities attempted quarantine and cleaning streets, showing a primitive awareness of public health.
Erosion of Galen's Authority: The total failure of Hippocratic and Galenic theories to cure the plague was a major catalyst for the later scientific revolution in the Renaissance.
Precursor to Public Health: The introduction of the 40-day quarantine during the Black Death established a precedent for infectious disease control that remains in use today.
