Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1865-07-27

Don't be afraid-and do be clean" Itmay
say whether it will or not; but everybody will
be the better for seeing that his house be in
ordcr that the sanitary authorities about him
have not gone to sleep, and that things be
clean and sweet in his neighborhood. 1t is
astonishing how easily we forget to finish
work of this kind.
There is the main drainage scheme, which
some people think very much like perfection;
but, at the last quarter of the ebb, the river
Thames at Firth as in a state at present only
to be described as "beastly." 1t will do no
harm at all to have general securing and
scrubbing, and get the bad places into decent
order; that is the best prescription which en-
periepce gives, and which we can repeat
For the medical part Of the subject, If cholera
should unhapily visit us, the doctors we know
will be at the post of danger and duty; and
they are well aware that, next to cleanliness,
temperance Of mind and body ID the best pro-
phylactic on their list Nor in the presense
of plague which moves like the wind, and
mocks our learning, would we omit to declare
that the best kind of courage with which to
meet such an instrument of Gods inscrutable
will, the best prcservative of manlincss and
mutual help at the time of its arrival, is the
faith that all His ordinances are good, and
the life that living in His presence, has moth,
ing to dread from His messengers.
History and Description Of the
Plague.
The report that the plague is spreading
westward, and may yet visit this continent
will render of interest the following article
from the Cornhill Magazine
The black death, like many other plagEes
of its class, can be traced far back into the
remote East and there is no doubt but tina
it was the same disease which ravaged Chnt
and Tartary in 1888, fifteen years before i
arrived on the shores of Europe. There hat
been great famine in China, proceeded by
earthquakes which alone destroyed 100000
persons and in the following year no fewel
than 100000 died there of this plague. -
From the remote East, it made its way into
Europe some years latcr-for pestilence oftel
travels slowly-accompa the migration
of men, and being carried about in their cloth
ing and merchandise.
1t did not arrive in Europe until l347, fiji
teen years after the outbreak in China.-
"From China" SAYS Hecker, ''the routes o
the caravans lay to the north of the Caspian
Sea, through Central Asia, to Tauris Her,
ships were ready to take the produce of tht
East to Constantinople, the capital OF com
merce and the medium of communication be
tween Asia, Europe and Africa Contagio,
made its way along these channels, and Con
stantinople, and the seaports of Asia Minor
were the toci whence the disease was carrie,
to every country OF Europe. Making its wa,
across the European committed its creates
ravages-save, perhaps in England, in Italy
raging at Florence, where it was observed am
described by the poet Boaccaccia.
* passing along the shores Of the Mediterra
mean, it invaded France by way of Avighon
spreading thence to England on the one hand
and to Germany on the other; whence, lik
the cholera of the present day, it double,
back two years later to Russia, and so back t
the East The Black Death, so called iror
the rapid putretaction Of the victims, was o
the same nature us the Oriental plague, viz
A putrid typhus, only of greater malgnity
The bois and bubocs of the latter discas
were found on the former whenever the pa
tient lived long enough to permit their devcl
opmcnt. The inhabitants of Europe al tha
time have been computed at one hundred an,
five milions--a high estimate. OF these
twenty-five millions, or onc-tourth of the who'll
perishcd. In Engl; it was still more fatal
owing, probably, to the ruder habits of tn
people During the term Of one ycar-fron
August 1913, to August, 1919, thrce-fourth
of the whole population perishcd. Indeed
we are to credit the annalists of that period
not more than onctenth escaped. Many sue
cumbcd in II few hours, like Scnnachcrib'
host none endured for three days.
In France numbers died on the spot wher
they were first stricken, as if struck by light
ming. This terrible scourgc, having swep
over the known world, committing such dc
struction of life, and leaving behind it sucl
misery and poverty as the world never sa,
before nor since, at length died out ltsparc,
neither age, sex nor condition the rich am
the poor alike succumbcd. There died in We
nice the aristocratic no less than 100000; i
Paris the gay, 50,000 and in London th
wealthy 100000; while in busy, rich, indus
trious Norwich, there died the almost incrcC
ible number Of 5000 pcrsons-nearly til
whole, one would suppose, of its inhabitants
At Avignon the deaths occurred with sue
fearful rapidity as wholly to battle the attempt
of the living to inter their friends and rcls
tives.; and the Pope was Obliged to consecrat
the Rhone to allow of the dead bodies fndin
a resting place upon its bosom, until il fnall
committed them to the great deep.