The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1879-02-02
THE ASTRAKHAN PLAGUE.
THE SYMPTOMS OF THE DIsEAsE-FoRMER
.vIsITATIoNs OF THE "BLACK DEATH"
Cincinnati Com m srcial.

of Astrakhan is the '.black DEATH" W hich
for ages has had its home in Egypt, Syria,
Greece, Turkey, and the adjoining pro-
vinces of Russia, to which countries 1t is
now chiefly limited. The people in the
frat infected districts are dying, the re
disease spread that fully ten per cent in
the newly infected districts have persisted.
No one 6sres touch the dead, and they lie
UNMARRIED 10 the streete.
In the commencement Of the disease
there is q feeling of weariness and fatig ne,
shiveripg, nausea and sickness, confus on
of ideas, giddiness and pain in the. loips.
Theee are quickly followed by increased
stupor and delirium, by paIor and flushing
of the face, and a feeling Of intense bind
ing or construction about the heart. Dart
ing pains are felt in the groin, armpits and
other parts Of the body. The lympbatic
glands become enlarged, and carbuncles
appear. The, tongue becomes dry and
brown. and the gums, teeth and lips are
covered with dark fur, while the bowels,
which are at first constipated, become
relaxed aad dark, offensive, and sometimes
bloody discharges are frequent. The will
loses its control over the muscles. About
the second or third day livid spots and
stripes appear upon the skin. In fatal
cases-and most are fatal-the pulse grad
ually sinks, the surface becomes cold and
clampy, the blood oozes from the mucous
surfaces, and there is either coma or deli
rum. The victim usually fingers five or
six days, and may pass away without
struggle or in convulsions. It is said that
infected persons might visit every country
in Europe before the symptoms were re-
cognized, and in this way endanger the
whole world,
The plague may be spontaneously en-
gendered by endemic or epidemic int1u-
ences it may originate from local causes
hov sod = inv Sn-
gion. Temperature seems to exert very
great influence over it. In tropical eli
mates it is not known, and it does not
long Withstand the cold of northern eli
mates. Its particular harvest time in Eu
rope is late in the summer and early in the
fall, especially in September. Like the
germs of yellow fever, it has thus far
evaded the examinations of chemists and
microscopists. AS soon as absorbed it
alters the composition of the blood and
the condition of the tissues. There is no
universal cure for it. In occasional in
stances fresh air may be Of benefit. Clean
illness is generally preventative, and 1t
ia due to this and superior ventilation that
foreigners in the Levant are comparatively
exempt.
In 1888, 30 Chinese historians tell US,
there were great convRlsioDs in nature,
and earthquakes and foods, which were
followed by drouths aud famines. Hills
ana lab6S Oi5appSSTeO, anu tue gases AASlhB
from the earth and 6ecayiDg vegetation
and animals rendered the cir excessively
impure. Following these convulsions came
the great plague, and before it entered
Europe 13 100000 people in China, and
25 900 900 people in Western Asia and
Northern Africa had died.
Itappeared in Russia, near where 1t now
prevails. in l343. Constsntinople was
attacked, and from there it spread over all
Turkey. The disease was carried to Italy,
and from thence to France, EuglaDd, Ger
many and the Low Countries. From
England it WAS conveyed to Sweden, and
passed over the Baltic Sea into Northern
Russia. 10 only three years 1t covered the
whole of Europe. Half the population of
Italy died oft. Fifteen Continental cities
lost 300 600 Inhabitants, London 100 600,
and in Europe 25, ,000,00 people perished.
The terrible disease was attributed by
the superstitious to the Jews, who were
accused of poisoning the wells, so that the
water would breed pestileDce. Entlre col
onies of Jews were massacred, and thou
sands were so terrified that they took their
own lives. The disease was extensively
spread by numerous bands OF rellglous
zeslots, who visited town after town, tor
turing their bodies in the vain hope OF
expiatinp the sins of the people. These
FIagellants," as they were called, comprised
both men and women, who went about
nearly naked, and each one wore q red
cross upon the breast. Multitudes sought to
escape the disease by living in caves and
woods, and starved. Some endeavored to es-
cape by the sea. They died, and the sailors
who picked up their boats shared the same
fate. Rotted bodies hoated down the
streams, polluting them and filling the
air with the contsgion. Some of the deli
rious victims ran through the streets of
villages, tearing out the hair and scratch
ing the faces of everyone they met.
The plague of 1868, 1864, aud 1865, the
last that prevailed very extensively, pro-
duced fewer deaths. In 1920 Marseilles
was almost depopulated, and in 1870 IuT-
Eev. Poland and Russia were again visited.
From all reports the present plague prom.
ises to destroy as many lives az those OF
former years.
The Flapellsnts also held that aaEellation was OF
canal yiftue with Baptism and the Blessed EuohArist
that forgiveness Of sins was to be procured S Win
ont the blood of Christ that the law OF Chfist was
soon to be abolished, and that new law enISninR
bantism of be administered by Whipping was
to ske tn place. Like all other heresiee these we're
soemnly condemned by the Church, Pope PeClement VIZ
{aaui NO a bull AGAINST them.