How did doctors in the 14th century treat people ill with the plague?

Answer 1

They would isolate themselves from others thereby further contributing to social chaos and individual anxiety and depression.

People with plague were locked into their houses with their entire family. A big red cross would get painted on the door to show that they are infected, and there were guards that were placed outside those doors, so no one could get in and no one could get out.

Plague doctors wore an early version of a hazmat suit. Doctors did not go into the houses of people with the plague or 'Black Death' as they didn't want to catch the disease. The doctors left family members to look after the victims and generally served as a visual warning to the public of the presence of an infected person or persons.

People in the seventeenth century did not know what caused the plague and many believed it was a punishment from God. They did realise that coming into contact with those infected increased the risk of contracting the disease yourself. Cures and preventative measures were not at all effective.

Suggested Preventions and Cures:

Carry Flowers or wear a strong perfume- The smells would help to ward away the disease (Result: Nothing)

Drink hot drinks- The victim would then sweat out the disease (Result: Nothing)

Carry a lucky charm- The charm would ward off the disease (Result:Nothing)

Use leeches to bleed the victim- This would remove infected blood (Result: Nothing)

Smoke a pipe of tobacco- The smoke would ward off the disease (Result: Nothing)

Give a strong dose of laxatives- This would cause the victim to completely empty his bowels, thus removing the disease. (Result: Strong doses of laxatives can cause death from dehydration.)

Coat the victims with Mercury and place them in the oven- The combination of mercury and heat from the oven would kill off the disease. (Result: This could actually increase the likelihood of death - mercury is poisonous and the heat from the oven caused serious burns.)

Answer 2

There were many, and often retrospectively comical, plague treatments. An orange stuffed with cloves hung near the victim was said to dispel the plague, for example. Also, it was said that placing a hen next to the swelling wold draw out the infection. Victims were washed with a mixture of vinegar and rose water and veins leading to the heart were commonly cut to allow for the body to bleed out the illness.

Answer 3

In many places they didn't do much because they didn't understand what they were dealing with. Many places just isolated the sick and left them to die. As many as 6,000 per day would die in urban centers. In Venice, Italy they sent them to an island in the lagoon and 55,000 people died there.

Answer 4

They would sometimes put dead toads on the buboes to see if they would go away. they would also make the patient bleed to balance out the four humours,

Answer 5

There were many ways that doctors attempted to treat the plague. Many doctors used blood letting as treatment for example.

Answer 6

they would pop the buboes and and give antibiotic's. and told their patients to stay close to fire.