According to urban legend, the children's
song "Ring Around the Rosy" refers to an illness
called the plague. Specifically, people interpret
this song as depicting a disease that produces red
sores, "ring around the rosy," and results in many
deaths, "we all fall down." Though we are
uncertain of the true meaning of this song, it does
seem to describe some of the symptoms of the
The most characteristic symptom of the
plague is painful, swollen lymph glands. These
swollen glands are called buboes, which is why
the most common form of the plague is called the
bubonic plague. Plague sufferers also develop a
high fever, and red spots that eventually turn black
One of the most disastrous plague epidemics
ever documented began when a severe outbreak
of the plague occurred in China in the 1330s. The
disease subsequently spread along trade routes,
and soon it appeared in many parts of the world.
By 1347, the plague had made its way to Europe,
where in five years it killed 25 million people,
over one-quarter of the continent's population.
Due to the plague's symptoms and results, the
disease came to be known throughout Europe as
The people of this time period lived in
constant fear of the plague. Because doctors
knew of no effective treatments, most of those
suffering from the plague died within a week of
displaying symptoms. Terrified friends and
family members often abandoned the ill for fear of
contracting the disease themselves. Deaths
occurred so frequently that many victims ended up
buried in mass graves. As no scientific explanation
existed for the plague, most people assumed
it was a punishment from God. Many
people, called flagellants, even resorted to
beating themselves with scourges in order to
obtain forgiveness. Unfortunately, flagellants
probably just encouraged the spread of the disease
as they traveled from town to town.
The plague had enormous social, economic,
religious, and psychological consequences.
Morose medieval art and literature demonstrate
the immense impact the plague had on the people
of this time period. Despite its costs, the plague
did improve the standard of living and social
structure. When the plague ended, a surplus of
goods reduced prices, and feudal lords lost power
as a lack of laborers provided peasants with a
greater selection of jobs at higher wages.
Now we have more accurate information
about the plague and its origin. Scientists have
discovered that a bacterium called Yersinia pestis
causes the plague. Infected fleas mainly transmit
the bacteria to rodents, but sometimes the fleas
carry the disease from rodents to humans.
Humans can spread the disease to one another by
close contact, which is how the plague
proliferated so rapidly during the 14th century.
The plague still poses a threat to humans, but
antibiotics have drastically diminished the