During the boom in European trade, more advanced means of transporting goods and shipping were developed, but with these advances also came the transport of diseases. The deadliest of these new diseases was the famous Black Death, which from 1347 wreaked havoc in Western Europe. Throughout history, when faced with difficult times, the true side of humanity can be seen; During these times, humanity often returns to its roots, whether barbaric or kind. This is exactly what civilizations did during the Black Death; communities across Europe hit by chaos have responded in various ways, some more just and beneficial, others negative and barbaric. At the time of the Black Death, little was known about the disease, doctors were ignorant, and had no way to stop the pandemic. Although they tried various “medical” responses, none were successful. Some believed that the root of the plague was the "humours", a system linked to the basic elements (earth, water, air and fire), and that their imbalance likely explained various anomalies. They tried to restore balance through various techniques, some including bloodletting, a gruesome method of draining blood from an area of ​​the body. Others believed that the plague was a punishment from God and that they were doomed to damnation. However, with the advancement of modern medicine, biologists defined the Black Death as bubonic plague, which spread via rats and fleas from the new merchant blisters. At that time, however, people thought it was transmitted through direct contact or breathing. The plague manifested itself by disgusting boils, caused by lymphatic swelling, and sometimes by coughing up blood. The terrible state in which the plague left its victims had a role in...... middle of paper......, Giovanni. Excerpt from the Decameron: The plague strikes Florence. 1350. Edited by Edward Hutton. London: Dent, 1955. Boccaccio, Giovanni. Excerpt from the Decameron: The plague strikes Florence. 1350. Edited by Richard Hooker. 1993. Halsall, Paul. “Boccaccio: THE DECAMERON,” INTRODUCTION. "FordhamUniversity. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/decameronintro.asp (accessed December 1, 2011)." Medieval medicine. Medieval period. http://www.medieval-period.com/medievalmedicine.html (accessed December 1, 2011). McKay, John P, Bennett D. Hill, John Buckler, Clare Haru Crowston, and Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks. Western Society: A Brief History. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin's, 2010. Sources of Western Society: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. Ziegler, Philip The Black Death. : Alan Sutton, 1991.