Changes
Shouldn't Christian be capitalized? It is now!
The germ theory of disease had not been discovered, so the means of transmission and cure were a mystery to contemporary doctors. After the 3-7 day incubation period, the sufferer would experience initial symptoms of chills, fever, diarrhea, headaches, and the swelling of the infected lymph nodes. If it was untreated, 30-75% of those who contracted the plague died.
The plague weakened the prestige of the Catholic Church, which appeared helpless to stop it. Because of the gruesome nature of the disease, irrational fantasies became rampant in mideval europe. Jews were subsequently blamed by the Catholic Church for poisoning the wells of Europe in order to kill christian Christian children.
The devastation of the serfs, who made up the vast majority of the population, also strengthened their socio-economic position. The scarcity of labour meant that, through proto-strikes, they could bargain with land-owners to improve their conditions of life. This led to the beginning of the end of [[feudalism]] in [[Europe]], as it weakened the force behind the success of the manors. The plague also created a demand for more centralized government that could respond effectively to disease.
