The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-04-23

Sdmo us VlCLlm.
r Ludovico Settala. physician distiug uishe
80 long ago as during the former plague, al
, nounced to the Tribunal of Health, by the 2OE
OF October, that the contagion had indispu ia
! Oily appeared at Lecco; but no measures wer
taken upon this report. Farther notices of
ike import induced them to dispatch a com
missioner with physician of Como, who
most unaccountably, upon the report of an oil
barber of Ballano announced TIL at the prevail
ing disease arose merely from the autumna ex
haltion from the marshes, aggravated by th
s"herlngs caused by the passage of the German
troops
MEANWHILE further intelligence of the new
disease, and of the nun Der of deaths, arriving
from all parts, two commissioners were sent t.
examine the places where it had appeared
and: II necessary, to use precautions to proven
lts increase The scourge had already spread
TO such an extent. as to leave no doubt of it,
| character. The commissioners passed throu oh
the territories of Lecce the borders of the la ke
OF Camo, the districts of Monte Briapza and
| Gera dAdda, and found the villages every where
IN state OF barricade, or deserted, and the in
haoltants Tying, or encamped in tue middle OF
| the fields, or dispersed abroad throughout the
country; like so many wild creatures" saws
DooIor IadIno, one of the ENJOYS, "they were
guard against the dreadful disease, such as
sprigs of mint, rue, OF rosemary, and even
vinegar" Informing themselves of the number
OF deaths, the commissioners became alarmed,
and visiting the sick and the dead recog nized
the terrible and infallible evidences of the
plague '--0
upon this information, orders were given to
close the gates of Milan.
lie Tribunal of Health, on the 14sh of No.
Vemoer, directed the conn issioners to wait on
tne governor, IN order to represent to him the
s,sus.ion OF atalrs. He replied, that he was
were much more pressing: this vas the second
time he had made the same answer nnder
s sfln circumstances. Two or three days
after, he published decree. prescri bin o public
reJoiclngs on the birth of Prince Charles tha
hrst son of Philip w., without troubling him
sell win the danger which would result from
so great a concourse of people at such q time
just as if things were going on in their ord,
nary course, and no dreadful evil was hang
over them. es
This man was the celebrated Ambrose
Splnola, who died few months after and
during this very war which he had SO much at
heart-not in the field, bat in his bed and
through grlet and vexation at the treatment he
experienced from those hose interests he had
served History has loudly extolled his merits:
she has heen silent upon his base inhumanity
IN risklug the dissemination of that worst Of
mltted to his trust.
But that which diminishes our astopisbment
at MS indifference is the Indifference of the
people themselves, of that part of the popula- !
tlon winch the contagiou had not vet reached |
but W no had 80 many motives to dread it. The |
scarcity of the preceding year. the exactions of |
the army, and the anxiety of mind which had |
peen endured, appeared to them more than |
sufhcient to explain the mortality of the sur
rounding country. They heard with a smile of
incredu!lty and contempt any who hazarded a
" ora on the Danger, or who even mentioned
ne pIaSue Inc same incredibly, the same
blindness, the same obstinacy, prevailed in the
enAte the council IF ten, and in II the Judicial
bodies. Cardinal Frederick alone enioined his
'urates to impress upon the people the imnort |
nee of dec arIng every case, and of seouestrat-
ng all Injected or suspected goods. The Tr-
'unal OF Health, prompted by the two physi-
a1' who fully apprehended the danger, did
axe some tardy measures, but in vain A
'rociamatlon to prevent the entrance of
trangers into the city was not published until
he 2oGh of November. This was too late the
plague was already in Milan.
1t must be diff cult, however interesting TO
discover the first cause of calamity which
wept OFT so many thousands of the inhabitants
II the city; but both Tadino and Ripamonti
gree that it was brought thither by an Italian
Older in the service of Spain, who had either
Fought or stolen quantity of clothes from the
Terman soldiers He WAS on visit to his
PARENTS in Milan, when he fell sick and beinr
arried into the hospital, died on the fourth
ay.
The Tribunal of Health cone lem ned the Honse
10 mad lived IN his clothes and the bed he had
coupled in the hospital ere consigned to the
lanes. Two servants and good friar, who
lad attended him, fell sick in few DAYS after:
ut the suspicious from the first entertained
L the nature of the malady, and the pre-
autlons used, prevented its extension for the
resent.
But in the house from which the soldier had
zen taken there were several attacked by the
isease; upon which all the inhabitants of it
we're conducted to the laz arctic, by order of
he Tribunal of Health,
The contagion made but little progress during
ne rest OF this year and the beginning of the
GLOWING. From time to time there were
ew persons attacked, but the rarity of the oc-
nrrence diminished the sus piciou of he plague,
nd confirmed the multitude in their disbelief
f its existence. Added to this, most of the
Ayslcians joined with the people in laughing
. the unhappy presages and Threatening
p'nions of the smaller nnmher of their
IIsn hp Thnt 4 -4l,o |
ended to explain upon other grounds; and
he account of these cases was seldom pre-
ented to the Tribunal of Health. Fear of the
az arctic kept all on the alert; the sick were
onceaied, and false certificates were obtained
rom some subaltern officers of health, who
we're deputed to inspect the dead bodies.
hose ply sicians, who, convinced Of the reality
# the contagon, proposed precautions against
:, were the objects of general antmadversion.
BOT the principal objects of execration were
'adlno and the senator SAttala, who were
tgmatised as enemies of their country, men
hose best exertions had been directed to.
Yards mitigating the severity of the coming
mischief Even the illustriOus Setta1a |