The Black Death Journal

The plague known as the “Black Death”, seemed to originate somewhere in the east. It is stated on page 11 that Louis Sanctus thought the plague came from India, but a Muslim author countered his thesis by saying that the plague that affected India came from an unspecified point of origin but it was definitely in the east. Another scholar in the book says that the plague originated in the rodent population in central Asia, or Mongolia to be more specific, and that Mongolian armies had brought the plague from the Himalayan foothills. Professors from the University of Paris believed that the cause of the plague was due to astronomical matters. Planets such as Jupiter and Mars were aligning, therefore causing irregular patterns in the earth’s atmosphere and affecting the air people were breathing. The plague was in the air, and therefore corrupted the land, wildlife, and crops as well. Overall, it is said (By the professors from the University of Paris) that the plague was an act of God. On page 51, Jacme D’Argamont tells of ways for people to avoid catching the plague, and in 1348, the plague must have been in full swing. D’Argamont starts off by saying if the plague is caused by impurities of the air, then people should live in underground rooms, but if the plague originated by water; people should live in high places like mountains. D’Argamont goes on to say that in order to avoid the plague, people should make fires indoors by using the best of firewood made from myrtle or cypress. A common treatment for the