Medicine Through TimeKey Facts
What Did People Believe Caused It?
Part of The Black Death — GCSE History
This key facts covers What Did People Believe Caused It? within The Black Death for GCSE History. Revise The Black Death in Medicine Through Time for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 5 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 2 of 11 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 2 of 11
Practice
8 questions
Recall
5 flashcards
📊 What Did People Believe Caused It?
| Explanation | What They Thought | What They Did About It |
|---|---|---|
| God's Punishment | God was punishing mankind for sin | Prayer, fasting, pilgrimages. Flagellants whipped themselves publicly. |
| Bad Air (Miasma) | Poisonous vapours from rotting matter | Carried posies of flowers, burned herbs, fires in streets to "purify" air. |
| Planets | Conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter, Mars in 1345 | Consulted astrologers, waited for stars to change. |
| Jewish People | Blamed for poisoning wells (antisemitic lie) | Terrible persecution; thousands killed in Europe. |
| Humours | An imbalance caused by bad air entering body | Bleeding, purging to restore balance. |