Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1867-07-12
The Black Death.

For more than fourteen months a mys-
FERROUS disease has been displaying rapid
and fatal activity in ireland. The first
case occurred as far back as the 18th of
March, 1866. An apprentice to surgeon
in Dublin had felt unwell, and remained
indoors during the day, taking his meals,
however, MS usual He had a bad night,
and complained Of headache in the morn
ing; and the master then remarked some
black spots upon his chest. DR.. Stokes,
an eminent Dublin physician, was imme-
diately sent for, and saw the patient at II
A. NJ. He found him peri, city collected,
and in apparently ordinary strength; but
the left arm and left breast were covered
thickly with large purple patches of the
deepest hue. Both medical men recog-
nized that they were in presence of case
which if an attack of typhus fever was
certainly such as neither of them had ever
witnessed before. When DR.. Stokes re-
turned, two hours later, great change
had taken place. The patient was as
self posed as before, but the left arm and
breast were now completely black. At
half past the young man was sitting up
in bed, discussing his case with his master
and as he complained of great thirst, the
latter went from the bedside TO the window
to mix cooling draught, but upon turning
round almost instantly be saw to his hor-
ror, that collapse had set in, and by p.
NJ, within little more than twenty. four
hours Of the first sign of indisposition,
within eight or nine hours of the appear
ance Of any formidable symptoms, and
within half an hour of being in possession
of all his faculties and Of considerable
amount of muscular strength, the patient
was dead. A few other cases occurred
during the spring and early summer, all
presenting the same general features, and
all fatal; but, with the appearance of chol-
era in August, this strange disease van
ished. With the approach of spring,
however, it reappeared.
In the beginning of April the first pro-
vincial cases were noticed. They were
cor nected with the troops who had been
engaged in pursuit of the insurgents
through the Galtee mountains. Two or
three soldiers, married woman, and a
couple of children were attacked; the wo-
man and one of the soldiers recovered, the
others died. The fatal cases were re-
markable for great suffering, which no
skill seemed capable of relieving. Indeed
the children screamed themselves to death
in the violence of the pain which no efforts
would mitigate. In all these cases there
were indications Of considerable inhamma-
ton of the brain and spinal column. A
special interest attaches to these military
cases, as throwing some light upon the
question of contagiousness. The mother
Of the children washed for some of the
| soldiers of the flying column, among whom
we have just mentioned the attacks Of the
disease occurred, and in this way the dis
order may, it is conceived, have been
communicated. AT this moment woman
| is in the Meath hospital in Dublin with
her young child, both suffering from this
malady and DIR. Stokes, who has them
personally in charge, has declared his con.
viction that this is an unquestionable case
of contagion.
Itappears, then, that strange and ter.
ribly fatal disease exists in ireland, and as
yet chiefly in Dublin. The general fea-
lures Of the preliminary stage are bilious
vomiting and sometimes purging, and usu-
al by headache of unparalleled intensity
with incoherency. Then comes the pur-
pie eruption, accompanied, in most cases
by great debility, and followed by collapse
and death. The duration of the illness is
of three-fold variety. In the first. where
the period is reckoncd by hours, one case
was fatal in four hours from the occurrence
of the first symptoms but the average i,
eighteen hours. The second variety in
cludes from three to six days, from the
first indications of indisposition to the
fatal issue. The third variety, in which
alone any recoveries have taken place
embraces period extending to many days
and even weeks. 1t is hardly necessary
to say that in Dublin great interest is fel
upon the subject among the members O
the medical profession, and considerable
anxiety has been awakened among tn.
general public.-London Chronicle.