The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-23

From the London CHI onice, Sept III
There l. nothing more curious If it be regarded
progress and decay Of diseases mseves-why it
is that they seem to run an appo nted cycle, and
then to have exhausted their viruence and to die
out. The leprosy, the scourge Of the middle ages,
"a well high extinct; Of the sweating sickness there
is no other standing memorial than rubric in the
English Prayer Book; smallpox, thou Oh struggling
things that Sere; and Fracastor's celebrated poem
abundaDty proves that the plague he celebrated hiss
lost much OF its magnity. On the ather haad. con-
sumption, almost unknown to former ages, yearly
mows down its tens OF thousands; and cholera has
taken the place of the plague and Of the black death
In Europe. These, no doubt will their course in
like manner and leava fresh discases-such as we
ourselves have seen the infuenza-to exercise the
unborn victims.
As it is with man. go with plants. In this sense.
also, old Homer tells the truth" As is the race Of
leaves 50 that Of man" The potato disease we have
be generally known that all the horrors Of an Irish
famine have been suffered in Gallica fro this cause.
The greater part of the riches Of the church Of Com
postela has been devoted to its relief and has
proved but drop in the ocean. But the grape dis
ease-as directly affecting the interests OF half Eu-
rope as cutting away the only support Of hu eds
OF thousands Of far more fatal consequence, aod
will hereafter be considered, unless some means can
be discovered for its cure one of the great SOURCES
Of the century.
Those who are interested--and who that can feel
for human misery is not interested I'm the question,
have now ample opportunity of examining the dis
ease in our own English vines collection Of spe-
cimens Of this new sc0urge lies before as we
write selected in different stages of the complaint,
and exhibiting its various phases. The latter may,
on the whole, be reduced to two.
The more ordinary appearance presented may DO
thus described The upper part Of the leaf rises in
well defined conical blistes. in the very earliest
above or below them. This is the first stage, and
lasts bu; few hours. Gradually within the cavity
OF the pustues, fungus Is formed at first Of the
color OF deal sawdust, but gradually reddening and
the exterior appearance Of the leaf remaining un-
chaDged and this is the second stage. II the third,
confluence Of the pustules commences generally, ct
the edge OF the leaf furthest from the stalk the fun
gus becomes of brown red; the exterior of the
cavity assume. copper or purple hue; and the It's
Of the leaf begins to perish. Finally, the whole
interior is covered with fungus rusty matter forms
on the exterior the edge Of the leaf Sits and cram
blee, and the whole lea falls to pieces.
The other phase is at all events less offensive to
the eye, though equally fatal to the plant. 1t COM
Fences by the appearance OF brown or purple
blotches on the upper side OF the leaf. The edges
curl up as if they had been burnt. The blotches
spread penetrate tho tissue OF the leaf become brit
lie, split up and the whole drops to pieces. cob
web like film, in both cases, frequently covers the
under surface Of the leaf On the grape itself the
whitish mldew has usually formed when It is Of the
size Of o small pea. The sporc extends itself with
great mpidity by radiating 6aments; they merely
attach themselves, without penetrating the cut0tes
the upper part rises, rounds ITSELF ripens and is
RED Of to some other grape where it fructiiy
No wonder that this disease should have attracted
the notice of the most eminent natnrats and prac-
teal men. In Germany, Professor Moh'; in France.
Louis Iecerk In Portugal MIR. Forester; in Italy.
Professor Sagnuette; and In England, Mr.. Broke
don (he latter in his very interesting lecture before
the Royal Insttutop) have all treated the subject.
1t was ia the spring of lS45 that this fungus first
made it, appearance In q hoth0use at Margae. By
q some what ambiguous compliment to tho gar.
dener who fret noticed IL, Mr.. E. Tucker 1t has
ceived the name Of the o UNI Tucker. In l34T
it reached France, For three years it returned
with Increasing violence, but still not exciting any
great alarm, till In 1861, its ravages created paaio
both there and In Italy. Il spread along the Lgu-
riaD coast to Naples 1t came back through the Tyrol,
devastating Switzerland and touching Baden; it
extended itself acroes the lyran States to hungary
1t coasted Mediterranean Spain to Malaga It entered
Algeria the Archipelago. and Syria; but Its most N
tai ravages were reserved for Madeira There where
the poverty is always extreme and where the vines
are the only resource the misery is perfectly fright
fol- the only staple Of the isaud is ruined AID what
Is to become Of It's 100 900 inhabitants is pWs human
Portugal itxeH IL may b hoped, win not thi, yesr
suffer 90 severely o. her neighbors, thu ugh Il Inust
b. confessed that the very. latest rports are ~.
i nciently gloomy. The vintage OF VAea Alto Douro,
! shouldN be ruined. would inAi0s an inoaicalsbie
blow On the national prosperity; and therefore Il d