When was the Great Plague of London, how many people were killed by the bubonic plague, what caused it and how did it end?
IN the seventeenth century, the worst outbreak of plague since the Black Death of 1348 swept through London.
It is estimated that thousands of people died during the outbreak, but what was the plague? How did it end? Here's everything you need to know.
What was the Great Plague of London?
In 1665 the Great Plague of London struck the city.
It is known by a few names: the Black Death and the Great Mortality.
In the 17th century the plague spread throughout Europe, endemic especially in the busy big cities.
But this outbreak was much larger than had been seen in some time.
The plague had been known in England for centuries since it first devastated society in 1348.
The World Health Organization describes the symptoms of plague as “flu-like”, with one to seven days between incubation and onset of symptoms.
The victims suffered terribly. Their skin turned black in spots, glands became inflamed or 'buboes' in the groin. This was accompanied by uncontrollable vomiting, swelling of the tongue and headache.
All in all, a painful way to die.
Plague is an infectious disease caused by the Yersinia Pestis bacteria and usually affects small mammals and their fleas.
It has an extremely high mortality rate and is highly contagious, although it can be treated with antibiotics if caught early.
Depending on which part of the body is involved, the plague has three main types:
- pneumonic plague – here the lungs are infected. The plague can be spread from person to person through airborne droplets.
- blood poisoning – this is when the blood is infected. It can be a complication of pneumonic and bubonic plague, but can also occur on its own. When it manifests on its own, it happens in the same way as the bubonic plague, but there are no bumps.
- bubonic plague – this is the most common form of plague and is caused by the bite of an infected flea. The bacteria is transferred from the flea to the body and travels through the lymphatic system to the lymph nodes where it multiplies. This causes the lymph node to become inflamed and painful, a bubo.
Bubonic plague is fatal in 30% to 60% of cases, while pneumonic plague is always fatal if left untreated.
This was not the first time the plague had struck London; it killed 40,000 Londoners in 1625, but the 1665 outbreak was the worst and last epidemic of its kind in London.
How did the Great Plague of London begin?
How the Great Plague of London began remains a mystery.
There is a good chance that he was found on a Dutch ship.
Black rats carried the fleas that caused the plague. They were attracted to the city streets full of garbage and rubbish, especially in the poorest areas.
This was not known at the time and would not be known for centuries.
Those who lived in the poorer, busier parts of London were at greater risk of contracting the plague, as these areas had more rats.
The plague started in the London suburb of St Giles in the fields and the worst effects remained in the outskirts of the city, in Stepney, Shoreditch, Clerkenwell, Cripplegate and Westminster.
What was the death toll from the Great Plague of London?
Millions of people across Europe have died from the plague since its first outbreak from 1347 to 1351, aptly called the Black Death.
During the second wave in the 16th century, a new strain emerged, once again bringing countries to their knees with a high death toll.
The last plague pandemic hit Asia in the late 19th century, giving the scientific and medical communities the opportunity to identify and study the disease.
An estimated 68,596 people died during the Great Plague of London, although it is believed that more than 100,000 people perished out of a population of 460,000.
At its peak, the disease was claiming 7,000 lives per week, according to conservative measurements
An outbreak was believed to have occurred in the winter of 1664, but it did not spread like wildfire until the spring of 1665.
Those who could, including lawyers, doctors and nobility, left the city for their own safety
King Charles II and his court fled the city in the summer of 1665 and did not return until February 1666. During the worst of the epidemic, parliament also moved out of the city to Oxford.
Did the Great Fire of London put an end to the plague outbreak?
London was struck by a second tragedy in 1666: the Great Fire of London.
Some believed that the fire brought about the end of the plague, but others claim that the plague had already begun to subside before the fire destroyed most of the city.
More than 13,000 homes were destroyed, along with almost 90 churches and even St. Paul's Cathedral was damaged by the fire.
The fire started in September at the King's Bakery on Pudding Lane. Fires were common at the time and could usually be stopped easily. However, the summer was hot, so the wooden buildings were tinder dry.
Strong winds also caused the fire to spread, with devastating consequences.