St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1879-03-15
THE AsTRAKHAN PLAGUE.
gynsp4omss Of the Dhsease-FoTnaer vista
saans Of the s'BAneA DEATH"

symptoms Of the Disease-Fornaer vista
aaans Of she ''Blaeh DEATH"
Cincinnati Commercial.
The disease now ravagiEg the districts
of Astrakhan is the "black death"
which for ages has had its home in
Egypt, Syria, Greece, Turkey and the
adjoining provinces of Russia, to which
count lies it Is now chiefly limited. The
people in the first infected districts are
diving, the report states, like flies. So
RAPIDLY has the disease spread that fully
ten ger dent. in the newly infected dis
tricts have died. No one dares touch
the dead. and they lie unburied in the
streets.
In the commencement of the disease
there is a feeling of WEAKNESS and ia
tigue. shivering, nausea and sickness
confusion of ideas, giddiness and pain IN
the loi ps. These are quickly followed
by Increased stupor and delirium, by
pallor and flushing of the face, and a
feeling Of intense binding or construction
about the heart. Darling pains are felt
in the eroins, armpits and other parts OF
the body. The Emphatic glands be"
come enlarged and csrbuncles appear
The tongue becomes dry and brown,
and the gums, teeth and lips are covered
with q, dark fur, while the bowels:
which ARE at first constipated, become
relaxel, and dark, offensive and some
times bloody discharges are frequent
The will loses It's control over the mus
cles. about the second or third day
Iivid spots and stripes appear upon the
skin. In fatal cases-and most are fatal
THE pulse gradually sinks, the surface
becomes cold and clammy, the blood
oozes from the mucous surfaces, and
there is either coma or delirium. The
victina usually fingers five or Fix days
and may pass away without struggle
or in convulsions. It is said that infect
ed persons might visit every country il
> Europe before the symptoms wer'
recognized, and In this way endange
the whole world.
, The plague may be spontaneously en-
gendered by endemic or epidemic iDAu
7 ences; it may originate from local causes
. and faay be propagated by peculiar con
tagion. Temperature seems to exert
very great influence over it. In tropics
0 climates it is not known, and 1t does no
e long Withstand the cold of norther
q climates. Its particular harvest time i
Q Europe is late in the summer and earl
q In the fall, especially in September
d Like the germs of yellow fever, 1t Ia
9 thus far evaded the examination
q chemists and microscopists. As soon s
It absesbed it alters the composition of til
|. blood and the condition Of the tissue
d There Is no universal cure for it. l
n occasional instances fresh air may be
n benefit. Cleanliness is generally pr
IT vensive, and it is due to this and superb
'e ventilation that foreigners in the Levar
'e are Comparatively exempt.
q II 1888, 81 Chinese historians tells u
NJ there were great commissions in natur
/" and earthquakes and Aoeds, which We
10 followed by drouths ard famines. Hill
10 and: lakes disappeared, and the gas
~ rising from the earth and decaying We
10 tatipn and animals, rendered the q
IL excessively impure. Following the
20 commissions came the great plague, sn
Ill before it entered Europe, 1s,008, 600
~ people in China and ct, 1000 900 people
Western Asia and North Africa hi
y died.
10 Il appeared in Russia, near where
20 now prevails, in 134S Constantinop
% Was attacked, and from there it spre'
20 oveg all Turkey. The disease was carrie
~ to dtaly, and from thence to Franc
III England, Germany snd the Low Cou
A. tvies. From England it was convey
d. TO Sweden, and passed over the Bait
~ sea 5nto Northern Russia. In only thr
~ years it covered the whole Of Ihzor
" Halt the population Of Italy hsI Il
10 Fifteen continental cities lest K 90
OF inhabitants, London 100, Gal, as
J. Europe $4,000, 600 people paris w..
- The terrible disease was ast:A e.
-. Interpretations to the Jews, web ne
accused of poisoning the visits, u tn
49, the water would breed pestltertc. e
49, tirs colonies of Jews were m.us..cre
~ ane thousands were 80 terrified tn
49, they took their own lives. The discs
80 was extensively spread by numero
=. bands of religious zealots, who visit
49, town after town, torturing their bod
No In she vain hope Of expiatjng the sins
~ the people. These Flagellants, as tn
were called, comprised both men q
women, who went about nearly make
and each one wore a red cross upon I
breast. The church resped rich hs
- vest, for many of its frightened subjet
"' gave to it their all. the donors We
re- obliged to throw their gifts over the wa
'ho of the enclosure, for the monks We
'ne atraid to come in contact with them, a
i, W.. 1