The medical term for the Black Death is Bubonic plague. This disease comes from an organism usually carried by rodents. The flea infested rodents come in contact with humans which then carry over to the human host (The Black Death). The Black Death of the fourteenth century was a devastating illness carried by fleas on black rats. It killed one-third of the population of Europe, and currently continues to appear in minor outbreaks, but with proper antibiotics, most people survive. Theory is that a fleet of ships made their way into a harbor in Italy with crews that were sick. The sickness these crews had was not brought by men, but by rats and fleas aboard the ships. As the rats died off, the fleas found human hosts which allowed the disease to spread (Byrne 9). People thought the Black Death was sign from god. They felt they were being contaminated because they were not repenting for their sins. Religious or not, many people tried taking refuge by participating in godly practices. Some tried easing their conscience through exaggerated penances while others doubled their devotions and encouraged revivals. Most people thought they would live through the plague if they gave into the surge of religious hysteria (Horrox 121). The Black Death started off as the common cold. The first sign of illness was a sudden coldness and a prickling sensation, like pins and needles, accompanied by extreme tiredness and depression (Horrox 4). Some symptoms were black spots on the chest. Also, black swellings that were the size of oranges appeared on the armpits, neck, and on the thighs. The swellings were rock hard and became very sensitive or achy. The disease also attached to the lungs which caused chest pains and difficult breathing. This was followed by intense coughing. People usually died after a few days from coughing up blood (Horrox 5). The impact from the Black Death was huge on society. There was a decrease in the available labor because peo