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Medicine Through TimeKey Facts

Comparing Black Death (1348) and Great Plague (1665)

Part of The Great Plague — GCSE History

This key facts covers Comparing Black Death (1348) and Great Plague (1665) within The Great Plague for GCSE History. Revise The Great Plague in Medicine Through Time for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 5 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 2 of 13 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 13

Practice

8 questions

Recall

5 flashcards

📊 Comparing Black Death (1348) and Great Plague (1665)

AspectBlack Death 1348Great Plague 1665Change?
Believed CausesMiasma (bad air from rotting matter), God, planets, humoursMiasma, God, planets, humoursNO CHANGE
TreatmentsBleeding, purging, theriac, prayerBleeding, purging, theriac, prayerNO CHANGE
PreventionCarry flowers, burn herbsCarry flowers, burn herbs, fires in streetsMINOR
Government ActionLimited; some quarantineOrganised: Bills of Mortality, quarantine laws, searchersIMPROVED
Death Toll~2 million (30-50% of England)~100,000 in London (15-20% of city)Lower % but still devastating

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in The Great Plague. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

Setting the SceneGovernment Measures 1665Exam Technique: Continuity vs ChangeWhy Did the Great Plague Kill 100,000 Londoners Despite 300 Years of Medical "Progress"?

Practice Questions for The Great Plague

Approximately how many people died in the Great Plague in London in 1665?

  • A. 10,000
  • B. 100,000
  • C. 500,000
  • D. 2 million
1 markfoundation

What were Bills of Mortality introduced during the Great Plague of 1665?

  • A. Laws banning public gatherings
  • B. Fines imposed on households that broke quarantine
  • C. Weekly published counts of deaths from plague
  • D. Orders to kill dogs and cats in infected areas
1 markfoundation

Quick Recall Flashcards

What were Bills of Mortality?
Weekly death counts published by the government — first systematic disease tracking
What were the Plague Orders?
Government rules during the Great Plague: infected houses marked with a red cross, residents locked inside for 40 days, watchmen posted to enforce quarantine

8 questions on The Great Plague — practise free

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Setting the Scene

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Government Measures 1665