Medical Responses to Black Death

During the Late Middle Ages, the Black Death (1347-1351) led to widespread panic and confusion. Medical responses were limited; physicians relied on ancient theories, like miasma (bad air) causing disease. They used herbal remedies, bloodletting, and quarantine to try to control the spread. Some towns closed borders and isolated the sick. However, these methods were largely ineffective against the plague, which was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The catastrophic impact of the Black Death ultimately spurred changes in medical understanding and encouraged the pursuit of more scientific approaches in medicine.