Plague Responses and Public Health Measures in Western Society - Lecture 4

Explore the diverse community responses to the bubonic plague in this 50-minute lecture from Yale University's "Epidemics in Western Society Since 1600" course. Examine how privileged individuals fled, widespread panic ensued, and foreigners faced persecution. Delve into the emergence of mass religious revivals, new saint cults, and public forms of repentance. Analyze the first full-scale public health program implemented by Italian city-states, including military quarantines, compulsory burials, and isolation of the infected. Investigate the effectiveness of these measures in combating the epidemic. The lecture covers topics such as miasmatism, individual self-protection methods, scapegoating, increased religiosity, and organized public health initiatives. Gain insights into the technical and administrative advancements of the time and their impact on containing the pandemic.