Cures for the Black Plague

The cures from the black Plague ranged in a variety of ways. The doctors and priests all had their ideas about how the plague was contracted spread and the cures. A widely believed practice they used to expel the plague was bleeding. They basically took a scalpel and would cut the skin open, except that they would cut the bubo open. Sometimes they would put a poultice of anything inside. This would range from plants to human feces. For the rich there were powdered emeralds or pearls mixed with exotic spices. Or a potion made of water, gold, and mercury. But a poultice that actually worked was made of cooked onions, figs, with butter and yeast. This was used by Pope Clement the 6ths doctor to cure himself. Some of the restrictions were simply no sleep mid-day, and you also need to keep warm then. Doing this you need to burn green wood, vine wood, and also green laurel. They would also burn wood worm and chamomile. Some of the other rules were no water fowl, or poultry, no old beef, no young pork, and mainly have a broth made of ground peppers, cloves, and ginger. Some of the more fruity cures were talismans and firing cannons. They would also ring church bells, burn incense, dip a handkerchief in oil, bathe in human urine, place dead animals in your home, blood letting, and using leeches. One of the more disgusting cures was drinking the pus from a suppurated bubo; they believed this would prevent the plague. Applying dried toads on buboes to relieve pain. There was also joining a flagellant group which basically meant for 33 ½ days you would whip your self beyond bleeding.