The+plague

The Bubonic Plague 1. infection of lymph nodes by bacteria //Yersinia pestis// 2. may be spread via rodents, esp. rats, people, and fleas 3. symptoms include: a. fever b. swelling of lymph gland c. chills d. muscle pain e. headache f. seizures g. excessive fatigue h. purple skin i. delirium j. vomiting k. internal bleeding of lungs l. disorientation m. aching joints n. general weakness o. staggering gait 4. without treatment, fatality is approx. 50% 5. Common Elizabethan Era treatments a. Administered by Church or apothecary or wise woman for poor b. Administered by educated physician for wealthy c. Included bloodletting i. Blood drawn was black, thick, bad smell ii. Blood mixed with green pus iii. Elizabethans believed this removed poison of bad blood and cooled fever d. Herbs for head pain: i. Rose ii. Sage iii. Lavender iv. Bay e. Herbs for stomach aches and general illness i. Wormwood ii. Mint iii. Balm f. Treatment of lung problems: i. Liquorice ii. Comfrey 6. Arrived in 1348 from Middle East, continued regularly until about 1970 7. about 1990, another outbreak occurred and the cause was identified
 * __The Effects of the Bubonic Plague on Theatre__**

General Effects on Elizabethan London:
 * 1) increased lack of sanitation
 * 2) dead buried in plague pits, mass graves
 * 3) plague pits reopened as deaths increased
 * 4) corpses decayed in houses for weeks
 * 5) thieves invaded the deceaseds’ houses, contaminating selves and others
 * 6) bodies thrown into river
 * 7) wealthy emigrated to countryside, including actors
 * 8) Queen Elizabeth transferred English court to Windsor castle—any Londoners whom called were hanged during outbreak of 1563
 * 9) Church lent stability to Middle Ages—people were very religious
 * 10) Plague caused populace to lose faith in clergy
 * 11) End of feudalism
 * 12) much of labor force died, wages rose due to fewer laborers (wage rise legally curtailed)
 * 13) less demand for land, rents fell
 * 14) class gap decreased as lords lost value in land and peasant gained value in labor
 * 15) many vassals became jealous of free laborer's wages rose, left manor to seek benevolent employers
 * 16) Thought of as catalyst to Renaissance

Specific Effects Pertaining to William Shakespeare a. during these times, actors emigrated to the countryside
 * 1) purported to be extremely frightened of plague
 * 2) siblings, friends, and colleagues of Shakespeare died of plague
 * 3) theatres closed during outbreaks, in 1593, 1603, 1608

Works Cited: S.B, S.G., & K.O. “The Church’s involvement in the Bubonic Plague.” Rich East High School. May 1997. http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Plague/Plague.html

VirRen Team. “Black Death.” Virtual Renaissance. August 2004. http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/Globe/BlackDeath.html

Professor Tom James. “Black Death: the lasting impact.” BBC. [|http://www.bbc]

Philip Ziegler. __The Black Death.__ The John Day Company, Inc. 1969.

Dr. Mike Ibeji. "Black Death: Politiccal and Social Changes." BBC. January 2001. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/blacksocial_01.shtml

Cyrus Badshaw, M.D., Ph.D. "Plague." Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia. June 2007. http://nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000596.htm#Symptoms

William Shakespeare info. "Bubonic Plague- Black Death in the Elizabethan Era and medical treatments." William Shakespeare info. 2005. http://www.william-shakespeare.info/bubonic-black-plague-elizabethan-era.htm