The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-06-06
THE PLAGUE.

THE PLAGUE.
An order las been sent to Duukirk TO put in
quaraa'ine all ships arriving from Russia. This
measure of precaut:on has been necessitated by
the epidemic now rigging at st. Petersury
The Malone Of Florence publishes the follow
lng communication from DIR. CALICO, director
Of the medical l. mparizale, on the serious cpl
demic now prevalent in Russia I'VE have re-
ceiycd from DR.. Tilcur, physician to the Grand
Duchess Maria of Russia, who has just arrived
from st. Petersburg, some in portaut details re-
spectlng the disease now raging in the capital.
This malady seems neither to- be fever of an
intermittent or curtaneous nature, nor yet sim
PIE typhoid fever; but it certainly is very viru-
lent and dangerous. According to the opin ons
of the Russian physicians, it is thessame fever
that was observed TOR the first time in Scotland,
III the year 1919, and deuomlnated in that
country the Intermittent fever, fem the length
OF the intermlsslons and the prolonged attacks,
This fever Is ushered in by cold shverins,
alternating with remarkable neat (from 4G .
to Al centisrade, or 100 Fahrenheit, J the
pulse being 100. Great proStration and dlsor-
der are observable in the nervous action, al
though the state of the mental faculties remaius
unaltered; frequent pains are tet iu the head
audi limbs, great pain is also felt In the left hy-
Pocondriacsregton, and an examination OF the
palpftation prOtes tie spleen to Fave Immediate
IL decreased In volume The skin is yellow in
color, owing to the liver being likewise affected
by the malady. The initatory attack of the fever
lasts from seven to Eight days, and terminates
with very coplous persplration. After the
first paroxysm, an interval occurs of seven or
eight days, during which the patient appears to
be almost as we'll as ever, but at the expiration
Of that period second attack mautests itself
like the first, but accompanied with still greater
prostration. Ths continues also about seven
days, terminating like the other with profuSe
perSpiration. Sometimes u third paroxysm de-
cIares itself after further interval Of seven
days, one Of the symptoms being great thirst
and mpietc aneurisu and the patient sinks in
to the most profound state Of prostra1lon. The
rate of mortality is s per cent, and the victims
of this malady die during the second attack,
usually from kind Of general paraly yss, or
through serious arrangement of the nervous or
gans, with real decomposition Of the blood and
an enormous increase IN the spleen. The liver
also becomes greatly enlarged, bat the intestipes
on the other hand, ale either FUND healthy OF
else hardly conSested
Everything hitherto has failed to shorten the
duration of the iebrile attacks. Salts N qu-
quite Intellectual to overcome the attacks char
acteristic of this malady In the second parox-
ism, IN which there is increased prostraton Of
the forces, the most powerful stimulants haye
been enadmnistered such as moss wine, alcohol
c,her, camphor, etc, but they produce little or
no effect. The chief Cause ot;this disease is sup
nosed TO be the arrival in St. Petersburg ofim-
mense plumbers of work men from the nei gh bor-
ing provinces, and even from the most distant
towns. 1t is said that there are just now in the
captal 43 900 work men more than the usual
number The consequence Of this is that they
cannot find work aud are obliged to live in un-
healthy localities, and to live upon the blank
bread. which contains this year much more
horned rye ,rbanc!n previous years. 1t has beer
discovered by chemical analysis that this bread
contains one peg cent of horned rye in the flour
with which it is made. Thus every working
man living on the'same may be calculated to
eat 100 grains OF horned rye per diets. Besides
this. the oxen, cows, and other animals being
no longer slaughtered in St. Petersburg, but at
Moscow, whence the meat is dispatched ready
prepared, the heads, hoofs, feet, and intsstines
Of these animals, which previously formed one
of the staple articles of sustenance of the poorer
classes, on account Of the cbeapness. are no lon