The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1865-10-03
The Black Death.

The Black Death, like many other plaques
of its class, can he traced back into the far
East, and thoro is no doubt it is the same
disease which ravaged China aud Tartary
in 1888, fifteen years before it arrived on
the shores of Europe. There had been a
great famine in China, produced by Hoods
N Il earthquakes, which alone destroyed
10000 persons, and in tho following year,
no fewer than 5,000,000 died thefo OF this
plague. Frou the remote East it made itB
way into Europe some years later, for pcsti-
lonco often travels slowly; accompanying
tho migrations of mcn and being carried
about in their clothes aud merchandise.
It did not arrivs in Europe until lSl7 li(-
tecn years after the outbreak in China.
From China, says lIcclIcr, tho routes of
tho caravans lay to tho north of tho Cas-
plan sea, through Central Asia to Taurus.
Here ships wero ready TO take the produce
of the east to Constantinople, the capital of
commerce and tho medium of comnnuica-
tion from Asia, Europe and Africa" Coutl-
gon made its way along those chanaels,
and Constantinoplo and Asia Minor were
the foc whence tho disease was carried to
every country of Europe. Making its way
across the European continent, it committed
its greatest ravaSes-save pc, haps in Eng-
land lin Italy raging terribly AT Florence
where it was observed by tho poet,
Boccacco.
Passing along the shores of tho Mcditcr-
rnncan, it invaded France by tho way of
Avignon spreading thence to England on
Que hand, and to Germany on the other
whence, like the cholera of the present
day, it doubled back two years later, to
Russia, and so back to tho Elst. The Black
Death, 30 called from the rapid putroiaction
OF tho bodies Of the victims, was of the
samo nature rs tho oriental plague, viz: u
putrid typhus, only of greater malignity,
The bols and buboes of the latter disease
wero found in the former whenever the
patient lived long enough to permit thoir
development, The number of inhabitants
of Europe ut that time have boon computed
at l05 000, ,000--a high estimate. OF these
$4,000 600, or onc-rourth of the whole, per.
ishod. III ENGLAND it was still moro fatak
owing probably to the ruder habits of the
people. During the term of one year, viz
from August l3i9, threofourths OF the
whole population perished. Indeed. if we
are to credit the aunalists of that period, not
moro than onctcnth escaped. A great
many succumhed in few hours, like SEN
nacherib's host mono endured for three
days.
In France numbers died on the spot
whore they were FIRST suddenly smtton
os if struck 10y lightning This terrible
scohrgc, having swept over the then known
world, committing such destruction of life
and leaving bohind it such misery and pov.
erty rs the world never saw before or since,
at length died out, never again, We trust,
to visit tho earth. 1t spared neither age,
sex, nor condition; the rich and poor alike
succumbed. There died in Venice, the
aristocNtic, no less than 100000 persons
in Fl0rcnco the refined, 60,00Ni in Paris the
gay, 10000; in London the wealthy, l00,-
600; while in busy, rich, and industrious
Norwich, there died tho almost Incredible
number of 50000 persons--neary the
whole, one would suppose, Of its inhahit-
ants! The deaths occurred with such
triShtul Rpidjty rs wholly to b 0lo the
attempts of the living to inter their friends
or relatives; aud the Pope was obliged to
consocrate the Rhine, to allow the lead
bodies indmg u hallowod resting place
upon its bosom, until it finally committed
them to the great doop,--CoyahW Mag
az ne