M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1865-05-04

'O'N" HiS"t "olo, IL 10 dtoO Ulblf
rical TACT that they have followed
particularly, in the two great instan
ces, civil wars.
May it not be possible that Provi
dence sometimes moves in this myst,
rlons way to unite, by the presence o.
a common danger, those who have
been bitter foes; and that the necess
y OF the scourge is proportioned t
tho alienation Of the peoplcl
WHY DOES THE PLAGUE FOLLOW WAR
As previously stated, little is reall,
kDowin regard to the nexact cause
aud the proper treatment of the
plague, and medical writer's have
generally been obliged to confne
themselves to local treatment OF sym
toms as they appear in their many
various forms. But it is believed
that epldemics often follow great
wars from certain causes. After a
great battle, the air in the whole
vicinity becomes invariably surcharg
ed with mlasmatic poisons from the
deeaying corpses of lnen and horses,
and from the often putrid wounds Of
those still living Those who have
visited the batt.e.felds Of the South
a few days after great conflicts have
occurred, have often observed the
stencil while yet approaching them
from miles away. As the putrid
matter from a corpse is deadly and
instant poison, when applied to the
quick flesh, or to the delicate mems
brane OF the eye, 80 this miasma,
wherever it taints the atmosphere, or
or makes its aerial flight upon the
winds, is poisonous in a more gradual
and less fatal degree when introduced
throughout the physical system, and
into the very blood, iron the ever
active lungs.
AS war progresses aud battles
this mlasma, especially in.
a hot or semi tropical country, accu>
muIates even faster than it can decom
pose into healthtul matter by the
action OF the elements aud the return
OF the seasons Of Vegetation, and de
velops itself in epidemics. Hnmani.
ty, too, by the excitement and tur
moil OF war, loses the calm saneness
that is exhibited in times Of peace.
aud abnormal conditions of mind
are accompanied BY abnormal condi>
tions Of the body, leaving the system
especially sensitive to the ATTACKS OF
almost any form of disease. Camp
diseases multiply, and even seem to
originate and develop new forms OF
human ailment and intensity old
ones, ofteu beyond the power of the
physician to understand or even cure,
30 complicated and various do they
appear. Prominent among these are
chronic dysentery and rheumatism,
hat sometimes mold the unfortunate
victims with g.ief that lasts through
lie, gradually wearing the vital lorce
lway,
1t will be observed that moningi.
IS, in one or more Of its forms, ia
ecorded to be one Of the principal
of the plague in past cen
urles, and that m9"jngiti. spinaLs.
) also a prominent symptom of the
pidemic now rapidly spreading il
sussia and Poland.
AXTTY oE MORALS IN TINE OF WARS
The histories of all wars, and
specially of civil wars, bear testimo.
y to the fact, that public and private
morals alike, relax their binding force
lpon society and upon individuals
It such times. Every student Of
history is as well aware of this fact,
10 OF the wars that ACCOMPANIED this
neral phenomenon. The hideous
ems Of prostitution multiply. Nor
j and physical plague spots them
elves, they infect with a moral and
pbyical plague often times where
ociety would least suspect aught
'elow the purest virtue. During the
plague of the fourteenth century,
queen Joanna, Of Naples and Avig.
on placed this unfortunate class of
allen women in localities by them
'lves, as a precaution against the
bread of the epidemic, and only
lowed them to appear upon public
reefs and places at cert ain set times
nd seasons. Doubtless it was a
Use precantion and helped to stay
le progress OF the fearful infections
| say landlord, that's dirty towel
IF man to wipe onl
Landlord with look of a,naz -
lent replied: "Well you're mighty
articular. Sixty or seventy Of nv
oarders have wiped on the towel