The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-02-08
THE PLAGUE.

The plague which is causing such SEN
sation in Eastern Europe at present was
first heard Of from Astrachan on the Sd Of
January, when it was reported that Of 1876
cases on the first two days Of the year l43
had proved fatal, rate Of mortality suffi-
cient to exclude the idea that the disease
was typhus. It had shown itself previous
ly, and the occasion of the sudden exten-
sion was a thaw. Its first appearance was
in the Cossack village Of VStlyanka soon
after the return Of two Cossack regiments
from the war in Asia Minor. Typhus had
prevailed among the men, but their cloth
ing and effects had been fumigated-
badly imperfectly-and TO this the disease
was traced, being announced as typhus
Sickness began to prevail towards the close
of November; in the second week of De-
cember the daily mortality in village of
600 souls was 3per cent; then panic seized
the people, who would neither succor the
sick nor bury the dead, and they fed, car
rying the infection and terror with them,
Even when it became clear that the dis
ease was not the typhus, but tho plague,
the Russian authorities we're remiss in
checking it and preparing for it. This re-
missness is the more inexcusable, apart
from the question Of international obliga-
tions, because Of the peculiarly disadyan-
tageous circumstances under which Russia
finds herself,-with a population never
notable for its observance Of sanitary laws,
and at present enfeebled by the hardships
consequent upon war and partial famine,
and with an extremely limited body Of
medical men, which the war has greatly
depleted. The disease has spread along
the course Of the Volga towards the north
aud west, till now it threatens Moscow and
Europe generally. Expert physicians de-
clare it to be the plague, and the symptoms
which are escribed-"headache accom-
panied by fever aud swelling Of the glands"
arc those Of the plague The true
plague, according to McCready, sis con
tagious fever characterized by an eruption
Of carbuncles and huboes," and It Is added
that cases in which these glandular SWELL
ings appear are ATTENDED with n higher
grade of fever, and with profounder de-
preston Of the vital forces; headache, rest
lessness, ehills and vertigo are commonly
present" &c. Morbid anatomy hitherto
has added nothing to the knowledge Of
the disease, Of which majority Of the
patients die in severe epidemics, GONZALES
cence being tedious in the event Of recov-
cry. OF the treatment all that can be said
is that local applications have to be made
to the eruptions; the patients strength
should be supported and the most favora
BILE hygienie conditions possible be estab.
llshed-the rest is with nature,
The last appearance of the plague 10
Europe was in 1874, and thereafter till
1898 It was not recognized as existing
Since the latter year it has been occurring
at intervals in the form Of scattered local
epidemics in various parts Of Persia and
Arabia. Three years ago Mr.. Netten
Radcliffe called the special attention Of
the English Society of Medical Officers Of
Health to the threatening nature of these
ep:demics and the high probability that
the disease, if it should assume an active
character Of dilfnsiveness, would penetrate
not only into Europe but also to Great
Britain, the seats Of the disease being in
close and constant communication with
Russia by land and the Mediterranean
ports by sea. There seems little reason to
doubt that the plague has gradually as
sumed an increasing degree Of virulence
and of infectivity, and that the outbreaks
in Astrachan and the adjoining provinces
are links in chain of continued progress
towards the west, Less than two years
ago the plague yDited Resht, Persian
town at the southwest anglo Of the Caspian,
which in 1892 was smitten BY the pesti.
lence, 10000 of its 10000 inhabitants
falling victims in few weeks and the city
being reduced during the panic to the con
dition Of "a charnel-house, city Of the
dead; no living creature was to be seen in
it, and those who had been abandoned BY
their friends died of sheer want" Resht
was invaded in 1877 from two Persian
villages at the southeast angle of the Gas
Piani the plague has now stepped from the
southwest up to Astraahan, at the north
west corner
The opinion of recent English writer
was that it was by no means unlikely that
the eontagion would overstep the barriers
erected by the Russian authorities. 1t is
too subtle and the possibilities of cvading
quarantine are too numerous to allow much
to be hoped for from official precautions,
and even the cordons Of troops drawn
around the infected districts to stop fugi-
tives have every prospect Of becoming fresh
centres from which the disease may be
distributed. An absolute and complete
quarantine, which would certainly arrest
the plague, is hardly to be established, es-
peeially in these times Of the increased
complexity of human intercourse. Still
though the disease is as formidable as Ii
was two centuries ago, when It last visited
England, It Is confidently asserted that the
provisions Of the British sanitary laws and
the powers Of the local authorities TO deal
with epidemics would be found sufficient
to contine and localize any cases that might
occur and render them merely pathological
curiosities London at the time Of the
Great Plague was ineonceivably filthy, and
there was no organization for the isolation
Of sufferers from infectious maladies and
for the prompt suppression of epidemics.
The plaques recorded in history are al.
most numberless, and in many instances
their ravages, though truthfully set down,
seem incredible. Before the great plague
Of 542 many disastrous epidsmics had
been noticed. The first general plague
which visited all parts of the then known
world broke out in 767 b. @. In 534 b.
z. Carthage was so sorely smitten that
women sacrificed their children to appease
the angry deities; in 461 there died at
Rome and its snyirons 100000 people.
Thucydides has graphically depicted The
plague which visited Athens B. O. 49O
laying waste also Rgypt and Ethiopia
Pliny records pestilcnce In the Archi-
pelagp, Egypt and Syria in 1888 B. q.
which swept of 1000 persons siay during
its continuance. Rome thereafter was re-. re
peatcdly scourged. A. D. so, lO. 900 mar.
sons are said to have died daily during the
pestilence; another plague swept tbrouob
the Empire in 1919; still another IN 1ss
while between 250 and 265 mapy towns
were depopulated and many provinces raw.
aged the daily rnorfol;t,, =. .a-.,