The mountain Democrat., 1865-06-17
A setentGAo AccOSnt 81 the PlASue-
ftS Hist cry and MafkeA Features.

SASo HtntOFy omG Mofke0 FOasuROss
By the old writer's the words sraEns sSd
'pestilentia, the synonyms Of Plsgue, as
we'll as the corresponding Greek words,
we're used in an exceedingly loose sense,
and must be taken as meaning nothing
more than an epidemic fever. True plague
is contagious fever, characterized by an
eruption Of carbuncles and bGbOes For
merly the plague occasionally prevailed in
many places Of Northern Europe. Pre-.
vious to its last visitation, in 1865, it in
vaded England, according to Sydenham,
every thirty or forty years. MaFseilles
suffered from it in 1870, Moscow 10 1871
and 1772, and some points in the Neapoli-
tan dominions Us late as 1916 and 1916.
The celebrated "black DEATH" which raw.
aged all Europe during the fourteenth cen.
tury, appears to have been the Oriental
plague. As in all severe epidemicS of the
disease, at its commencement many Of the
patients died previous to the development
Of the peculiar eruption but the general |
occurrence Of carbuncles and bub0es is
sufficiently authenticated. 1t derived its
name from the gADgrenous eschars formed
by the carbuncles, or perhaps from the
patechiaa which always accompanied the
disease.
A report made to the French Academy, !
Paris, 1s46, says:
81. At present, the countries where
the plague still originates are, in the first
place, Egypt, afterward Syria and the twO
Turkeys. 1t is probable, however, that
the plague may be developed without i'm.
portation in the regencies Of Tripoii, Tu-
mis-. and in the Empire Of Morocco.
~. In those countries the conditions
that determine and favor its development
are the habitAtion Of alluvial or marshy
grounds \ hot, moist atmosphere low,
badly aired, and crowded houses the &C
Cumulation Of great quantity Of animal
and vegetable matter in state Of putPe-
faction; a scanty and unwholcsOme diet
great moral and physical destitution ; the
negligence of the Law Of public ard pri-
vate hygiene.
'3. Sporadic plague does not seem to be
transmissible. Epidemic plague is trans
missible, both in the localities where The
plague is raging and without them.
"a. 1t is transmitted by means OF mias.
mata given out by the bodies Of the sick;
these miasmata, in close and ill-ventiluted
places, may create centcrs Of pestilential
infection. No rigorous observation has
shown the transmissibiiity Of the plsgus
by simple contact With the infected, New
experiments are necessary 10 determine
that it is not transmissible by the goods
and wearing apparel Of the infected II
results from the observation, made at the
lazarettos for more than year, that mer.
chandise does not transmit The plague"
The period of incubation of the plague
would seem in no case to be beyond eight
days. The course OF the disease varies
very much in different cases Sometimes
the local symptoms first show themselves,
and the fever which follows Is compare.
lively mild at other times the'patient Is
rapidly overwhelmed by the violence Of
the constitutional disorder, and dies with.
out the appearances of carbuncles or bu.
bocs; between these extremes and tending
to one luIin Or the other, the disease pre-.
sents every grade Of variety. ,... ..la
In its milder forms small spots, like fea
bites, first make their appearance. especi-
ally on the parts of the body exposed to
the air g.; these enlarge, become dusky, and
are covered by vesicles or phlyctene all.
ed with dark colored fluid. The base Of
the spots is hard; it becomes black, form
ing q gaDgrenous cSchar, with a circum-
ference Of an inch oT an inch and half in
diameter; these are the carbuncles This
process is attended with more or less f.
yer which, as the eschar becomes detach-
ed, gradually subsidies. Often, consequent
upon the appearance Of the carbuncles,
glannlar swellings form, commonly in the |
groinS or arm-pitS, more rarely in the |
neck. These buboes, as they are termed,
occasionally disappear without suppura-
tion moro generally, after a time, pus is
formed sometime healthy, sometime thin |
and sanious. Cases, in which buboes ap-
pear, are attended with higher grade of
fever, and with profounder depression of
the vital forces headache, restlcssness,
CHI Is, and vertigo are commonly present;
the eyes are red and muddy, the tongue
coated, the skin hot and dry, the pulse
small, weak and frequent; petechiG are
frequently present.
The duration of the disease varies. In /
the commencement 0f severe epidemics,
cases have been related in which the pa
tients lave died within twenty. four hours;
i'll most instances, however, it continues
from one to two weeks. In severe cpl.
denies the majority Of the patients die,
and when recovery takes place, GONZALES
ence is tedious. Morbid anatomy hitherto
has added nothing to our knowledge of
the disease; the blood is found to be alter
ed and fluid, but no appearances have
been noted which can be deemed charae.
teristie. OF the treatment of plague we
know li.tle; like other contagious exam
thems. it probably runs a prescribed
course, which cannot be materially short
ened, and perhaps in the present state Of
our knowledge, it would be wiSest in most
cases to limit our efforts TO the local treat
ment of the carbuncles and buboes, sup
porting the patients strength, and placing
bim under as favorable hyginic circum-
stances as possible. Il
How TO DO GoOD.--lt has been wisely
said, He who waits to do great deal Of
good at once will never do nything. Life
IS made up Of small things. 1t is but once
10 an age that occasion is offered for do.
ing great deed. True greatness consists
in being great in little things. How are
railroads built! BY one shovel full at
4 time. Thus drops make the OCEAN
Hence, we should be willing TO do . little i
good at q time, and never wait to do =
great deal at once. If We would do much
good in the world, We must be wiling to /
10 good in little things, little acts one a.
Ter another. '-r.-. .e. .el'fa T.
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