The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-01-03

lacked, the unfortunate being is deserted
by relatives and friends, and when dead
two or four poriers, besides priest wer,
generally the onl " persons who attended
the body to the grave. When The de
ceased is Mussulman, he is more fre
quen,ly attended during his illness, an,
after death to his tomb. than if Chris
tan. With the former the plague is /;
visitation of Providence, from which it i:
both useless and a sin 10 escape, while
with the latter not only is it deemed ne
cessary to provide for ones own life bu
even TO do SO at the srcrifce of the dear
est friend Often noticed a dead body
tied on plank which single porter car.
RED on his back; at other times the oh.
ject would be concealed within bag, and
then the grave was a ditch common to all,
into which the porter would shake off his
load and return for another. No priest
OF lnman there presided over the funeral
scene; few or none were the prayers that
were said over the remains he who but
short week before had been proud Of his
strength or condition. or she who in the
same short space Of time previous excel.
led in beauty and grace, there lay con-
founded in one neglected, unhonored and
purifying mass. The air became impreg-
mated with the efluva-the houses around
the Turkish cemeteries, which are most
~ IN the heart of the city, where the dead
are inferred but some three feet beneath
the surface, were soon deserted, their
owners dead. The ever green cypress
trees, under whose outrageous quiet the
beautiful children once played, now moan
ed over their little graves; and in fine
every one in the deserted city walked
with measured steps, apprehensive of
threatened death awe and CONSERVATION
filed the minds of all.
The Sullan's own household was not
free from the dreadful scourge. By some
means it found access 10 his servants, and
carried off about so Of them. Their bo-
dies were cast into the Bosphorus, and
the Sultan fled to another palace. The
ministers of the Sublime Porte suffered
severely in their families; their wives
and servants died off in numbers; and
even the minister of foreign affairs is said
TO have taken it and narrowly escaped.
Few survived when once attacked, and
the chances of recovery were scarcely
worth calculating. And yet among the
Mussulmans little or no precaulion was
laken-for although by a government or.
der all the principal officers were provided
with fumigatory boxes, they were seldom
used. The Mussulman Sheiks declared
that the conlagon came from Heaven,
and could only be averted by Almighty
power.-Yct it is we'll known fact, that
cleanliness of habits went far toward pre-
serving against the disease-and frequent
change of apparel, with ordinary precau.
tons, suficed to preserve many who 9TH
erwise would undoubtedly have taken il.
But | think the reader will be able, from
the preceding sketch, TO form some idea
of the nature and extent Of the mortality
of the plague in 1887. While it ragged,
every feeling approaching to similarity
with what is known to denote an attack,
exciles apprehension. A pimplc, through
the medium of the Imagination, is trans
formed into horrid bube--a cold or
simple headache, however rining, are
attributed TO the dreadful malady; and
even the firmest mind at such times quails
under trifling appearances. In some ca
ses the scenes of agony closes in few
hours-even minutes; they fall down and
almost Immediately expire. Others lin
ger for twen,y-four or for,y-eight hours,
or several days elapse before death puts
an end to their suf'erings. Some again
bear it in their system for days, and at
tend to their usual occupations at length
II appears, they fall i'll and expire, or re-
cover. Few account for their being at
tacked-,hey do not remember having
touched any one suspected or exposed
and again, the porters, whose duty it is
to convey the attacked to tho hospitals,
and corpses to their graves, escape. The
mother attends upon her dying child, sac
rilices every apprehension to her affec-
ton, and yet escapes, or the child brings
it TO its parent, who dies, while the inno-
cent cause survives. No cure has vet
been found for il, and nature mus, be
left to take her course. Extreme heat or
cold have favorable effect upon it; bu,
the temperate climate Of Constantinople;
with the frequent dearth of water, the
dust, and other impurities tend greatly to
its dissemination.
1t was therefore during this painful Pc
Rod that resided in Galata; free, as
had hoped, from the con,agion; and yet
it fonnd its way into our little family, &C.