The Black Plague

            Throughout the history of mankind, there have been few natural disasters that have been as terrible as the Black Death. One reason that the plague hit Great Britain during the Victorian Era so hard is due to its poor sanitary conditions in thriving urban areas. The plague was carried by oriental rat flea, and the rat flea rid on the back of black rats through unsanitary sewers. A third of the European population died in this horrendous period. The Black Death swept through Europe leaving nothing but devastation. .
             The Black Death is just one name for 3 deadly plagues, and we have yet to find an effective treatment for any of these plagues. The bubonic plague was the most commonly seen type of the Black Death. The mortality rate was generally 30-70%. The symptoms of having the Black Death usually were enlarged lymph nodes (near the armpits, neck, and groin). Most of the victims were subject to nausea, aching joints, a fever of 101-105 degrees, vomiting, and a general feeling of illness. Alongside the bubonic plague there was the pneumonic plague, this was the second most common seen form of the Black Death. The pneumonic plague usually infected the lungs. Symptoms of the pneumonic plague were slimy sputum tinted with blood. Sputum is saliva mixed with mucus pushed out from the respiratory system, but as the disease progressed the sputum became free flowing and bright red. These symptoms took 1-7 days to appear. The last but definitely not the least is the septicemia plague. This was the most rare plague of all. The mortality rate for this deadly disease is almost 100%, and yet today there is still is no treatment for this disease. The most deadly form of this disease can cause the victims skin to turn to a dark purple tint. The Black Death got its name from the deep purple, almost black discoloration of the skin on the victim's body. Victims usually died the same exact day as the severe symptoms began to occur.