World Famous Comics: In Search of History - Scourge of the Black Death (History Channel)
In Search of History - Scourge of the Black Death (History Channel)
Starring: In Search of History Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC Label: A&E Home Video Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: December 27, 2005 Running Time: 50 minutes Theatrical Release Date: 2005
Description: Some people believe it was sent by God to punish the sins of the world. First recognized in 542 AD, the plague swept from Egypt through Asia Minor and Europe on a path of destruction, killing more than 100 million in countless outbreaks and plunging the world into the Dark Ages. Today, much is known about this ancient scourge, and modern medicine is largely able to contain it. But its origins remain unclear, and there is always the threat that a new, disease-resistant strain could once again prove to be a major threat to mankind. THE SCOURGE OF THE BLACK DEATH is a comprehensive look at the deadliest disease to ever strike mankind. Historians trace its incredible, apocalyptic spread and detail the sweeping changes it forced. Scientists including Dr. Kenneth L. Gage, Plague Section Chief at the Center for Disease Control explain how the disease lives, spreads and kills, and reveal the latest breakthroughs in the ongoing battle to contain it. And incredible archival art, artifacts and accounts, along with location footage from throughout Europe, bring the horrific years of the plague's dominance to life.
Info on the Plague This was beneficial in that one learns how individuals dealt with the Plague. Some flagellated themselves; others boarded up whole families to die; really stupidly, others turned to anti-Semitism. Before this, I falsely assumed that like tuberculosis in the 1800s, many people died but at their own pace and acceleration. This work said the Plague killed within 5 days. In fact, it adds that victims were forced to smell their own flesh rot. I usually hate cheesy reenactments, but this work kept them to a minimum; more elaborate reenactments would have been too costly, I suppose. The paintings were so ornate, I doubt they were done in the 1300s. My big critique of this work is that though it says, "The Plague flew from Italy all the way to the Arctic," 95% of this work focused on Italy. Often when a new disease arrives, people blame it on foreigners. (Historically, this was true of syphilis, centuries later.) Did other Europeans blame the Italians for the Plague? Were other countries able to learn to fight the Plague using Italians' tactics? This work stated that the Plague would pop up to a smaller extent until the 1700s; didn't know that. Only in the 1800s did scientists learn that it was spread from fleas and mice. This work said very little, and only near the end, about the filthiness of 1300s Europe. I heard that people of the time killed cats, viewing them as "the devil's beast," until they saw that cats ate infected mice. This work says nothing of it. I recently saw a documentary on the flu outbreak of 1918. Just like the Plague, huge percentages of people died and then the flu disappeared. As tragic as both events are, it also gives me the impression that the weak die off and the strong survive. This wasn't genocide or extinction, just really virulent diseases that luckily humans overcame. This work may be good for high school and junior high history classes.
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