Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1837-09-08

years OLD. Years have since passed over
me and my vow is still unbroken
The Plague i'm Constantinople.
The following deeply affecting Letter, from an Ameri-
can missionary to his friend in Boston, copy from,
tho Boston Recorder.
CoNsTANTINorLE. Feb. Is, 1887.
My Dear Sir.-I promised you. 10 a pre-.
vieus letter. some details in reference 10 the
history OF this years awful plague in Con.
staniinople can, however, do bot little
more than tell you Of some Of the facts with
which we have become familiar, from the
accidents this is the name given TO disease
from pague) that have occurred among our
own acquaintance. In preceding years the
ravages Of this pestilence have been so com
paratively slight, that we have known hard
ly one OF those who have died. Common
report gives the estimate of one hundred
thousand human beings in this city, who
have been swept away to eternity, during the
last six months. Il would be strange, there
lore. II there were not some with whose tale
OF wo we are acquainted
You are aware that il is the irrcmedable
CONSCIOUSNESS of the plague that makes it
so terrific. II you are pyedisposed, you
may take !, by touch. when least anticipated.
You must not only not tonch the sick. their
bedding, their clothes, or approach within
six feet of them, but you must keep quaran-
ZINE TI,ii every body else 10 the CITY. II
they enter the house. you must smoke them
and give them a remote chair in an uncar-
peted room. You must receive no letter,
stuhs. bread or meat. into the house. without
exposing il to smoke or passing il through
water The servants are to be shut up, and
il the master Of the house goes out he has
an oil cloth dress. and with a cane wards off
all the passers by. No more can balls be
frequen,ed than the churches, schools must
cease, and business TO great extent is para
yzed.
Notwithstanding all these precautions ia.
ken by the Christians OF which | have Civ
en- you but the outline. the messenger of
death enters many family Either the sick
one is carried away on the back Of the por-
ter to the plague hospital, or the family. SER
wants and children. all leave the house. and
in numerous cases, all the neighbors also
desert, if possible, their own houses. Per
hapsthe sick one may be attended assiduous
ly by some affectionate relation, but oftener
is LEFT to the charge Of hirelngs. who either
regard themselves as plague proof or are
willing TO run this great risk for the sake OF
money. Those. however who do attend
upon the sick. even they keep quarantine
with you often. touch not your bed clothes,
and dress not your sores. Medicine is rare
ly administered; the regular physician can.
not generally come, for he would endanger
the rest Of his patients sick from other dis
en- sac The .,taona 1ortnr Il ,..ahar r,,rs.,
or physician. He can discern whether or
not you have the plague. and can pronounce
often whether or not the attack will be fatal
If you are carried TO the hospiial--bul
have no right to tell of the scenes of the
hospital until better informed. The hospital
is not the place where the regular physician
enters. The proportion that come out alive
is exceedingly small lily constructed.
poorly ventilated. and disiniected. the tide
rolls in and out its doors at the rate, includ-
ing all the hospitals, of hundreds in week,
the larger proportion Of them 10 be carried
out TO their graves A sufficient quantity Of
rice water is given some little attention is
paid by the servants, but no radical treatment
is addressed TO overcome the disease itself
The porter carries off the dead on his back,
unattended by any friend. except perhaps by
the plague priest. and the body is dropt I'M
cofiined into the ready dug grave.
These are but some few slight hints that |
have written preparatory 10 mentioning one
or two melancholy facts, Illustrative Of the
disease. One Of the cases was in the house
Of Rev. Mr. F. an English Missionary
On account Of the havoc Of the plague, he
judged it prudent TO retire with his family
TO Smyrna. He left in his house young
man, the son OF Jewish convert. As he
was sick in bed he left also servant TO take
charge of him. The man servant fell sick
Of the plague. and became unable to admin
ister to The wants OF poor Markoi he died,
leaving Mako. unable TO leave his bed TO
lie by the side Of this dead man for near
three days The deceased was Jew, but
was catechuman. aud gave some evidence
Of piety. He ought 10 have been buried
but the Jews OF one village re
fused to bury such a heritic. The Jews Of