The Placer herald., 1865-09-09
History and Description Of tho Plague.

History and Description Of tho Plague.
The report that the plague 10 spreading
westward, and may yet visit this continent.
will render "f interest the following article
from the CornhiH Magazine: rh
The black death, like many other plaques
of it's class. can be traced far back into the
remote East; and there is no doubt but that
it WAS the same disease which ravaged China
and Tartary in 1898. fifteen years before It
arrived on the shores Of Europe. There had
been great famine in China, preceded BY
earthquakes, which s'one destroyed 100000
persons, and in the following year. no fewer
than 5,0OO.OOO died there Of this plague.
From the remote East, it made its way into
Europe some years later. for pes,ience often
travels slowly, accompanying the mgrations
Of men. and teng carried about in their clio.
thing aud merchandise. 1t did not arrive in
Europe until l347, fifteen years after the
outbreak in China. From China" sava
Ilecker, "lhe routes Of the caravans lay 10
the north Of the Caspian Sea, through Cen.
lral Asia, to Tau,is. Here ships were ready
to take the produce Of the East to Cons anti.
nople, the capital Of commerce and the me.
dium Of communication betw cen Asia, Eu.
rope aud Africa" Contagion made i,s way
along thess channels. and Constaptinople,
and the seapors of Asia Minor, were the
foci whence the disease WAS carried to every
country of Europe. Making its way across
the European, committed its greatest rsvages,
save, perhaps, in England, in Italy. raging
terribly at Florence, where it was observed
and described Ivy the poet Boaccaccis.
Passing along lhe shores Of the Mediter.
ransan, it invaded France ty way of Avig,
non, spreading thence to England on the ono
hand, and to Germany on the other: whence.
like the cholera Of the ri-s-nt day, it doubled
back two years later to Russia, and so back
to the east. The Black Death, 30 called
from the rapid putretac,ion-of the bodies Of
the victims, WAS OF the same nature "a the
Oriental plaque. viz: A pu'rid typhus. only
Of greater malignity. The hollis and buhoes
of The latter disease were found on tho for
mer whenever the patient lived long enough
TO permit their development. The inhabi'
'ans OF Europe at that time have been COM
puted at one hundred and five millions, .
high estimate. OF these, twenty-five millions,
"r one-fourth Of the whole, persisted. In
Eng it was still more fatal, owing, prob.
ably. to the ruder habits of the people. Du.
ring the term of one year. from August l34S,
to August. l349, three f"ur,hs Of the whole
population per'shsd. Indeed. If we are to
credit the annaIists Of that period. not moro
than one-tenth escaped. Many succumbed
in few hours. like Sennacheriu's hos,; none
endured for three days.
A correspondent. writing from Richmond,
relates an incident as follows:
Talking Of oahs reminds me of local
joke which my pen cannot resist recording.
modest young country girl, on applying
for rations to one # our relief agents a few
days ago, was asked if she had ever taken
the oath. No, indeed. SIR was her terrified
reply, i never swore in all my ;fs.' But
you must tax. the oath, my good girl taiI
the agent, or cannot give you the ra,ions. :
No. indeed, | cant sir said the girl, mo.
,hcr always taught me never 10 swear The
agrn, mildly persisted, and the ma den perth.
naciousIy refused all attempts 1t persuasion,
until overcome at last by the dreadful con-
tiict between necessity and her high ssnse Of
moral duty. she stammersd out, with down.
cas-. lids. We'll, sir. If you will make me do
such horrid, wicked thing, d-n the Yam
kees!"